UNESCO World Heritage Sites such as the Durbar Squares in Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Lalitpur have suffered severe damages. The landmark of Kathmandu—the nine-storied Dharahara—has collapsed. Those centuries-old temples and monuments, which have now been reduced to rubbles, not only reflected our ancient architecture and culture but were also some of our country's most precious treasures.
The most important thing for now is to save those remnants of the ruins from being stolen. Thousands of people have died and countless are displaced from their own houses. The authorities are yet to reach many of the quake-ravaged regions, and no one can sleep with an empty stomach under the open sky for long. The possibility of epidemic outbreaks has gripped the entire nation with fear. Victims tired of awaiting relief have vented their fury at the lackluster response of the government and their failure to rescue and rehabilitate victims who are deprived of tents, clean drinking water and other essential supplies even after so many days.
Various international organizations, private sectors and independent youth groups have been supporting the victims of the disasters, and the government has been disbursing relief packages, too. But there are still scores of victims who are yet to get hold of any relief packages. The government should take lesson from this disaster and work hard to overcome its inefficiency in handling disasters in the future. We must thank Nepal Army and Police for working tirelessly round the clock in rescue and relief works in spite of limited equipments and resources.
The government's delay in carrying out rescue and relief operations is extremely deplorable but it isn't right to blame the government alone. We common folks are equally responsible. In recent years, various public awareness campaigns were conducted regarding possible quakes and preparations for and responses to such disasters. We should have also prepared accordingly and followed safety measures but we neglected those warnings. We rarely ever took our time to read the safety tips regarding earthquakes distributed by various organizations. So it isn't only the government that is to blame.
We cannot blindly believe that all the foreign aid pouring into Nepal will be utilized properly. People even doubt it will reach the people who actually need it. Leaders of the political parties remained incognito instead of coming out with relief plans and support.
Apart from these, the lifestyle of people has also changed to some extent due to the destructive quakes. Quite remarkably, people from different communities were found to live together in makeshift tents, each forgetting the social, cultural and economic hierarchies. The terrible quakes brought communities together and garnered a feeling of brotherhood and humanity. Plus, this tragic event brought youths out to help the people.
The destructions have made our heart heavy with despair. But we have to move on. Tragedy is unavoidable. What matters is how we move ahead now.
In this hour of grief, we all should unite and help rebuild Nepal. The nation needs its every living citizen's help. A deadly disaster struck us but we Nepalis can overcome it. We will soon bounce back.
Avishek is a high school graduate from Bharatpur, Chitwan.
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