Subek Shrestha, the pilot, gestured to Gurung to come closer. But the latter, who was devasted by Saturday's massive earthquake, couldn't find any consolation. The locals from some 150 houses also rushed to the helicopter.The low-payload chopper belonging to Mountain Air had brought five sacks of rice, beaten rice and noodles and 20 tents. This was peanuts compared to the needs of quake victims in the village. Not a house was left undamaged by the quake. The victims were living under makeshift tents in drizzling weather.
The woe of financially weak families, dalits and janajatis (non Brahmin-Chettri) was even more acute. Their small, mud-built houses have been reduced to rubble and the foodgrain they have stored underneath rendered useless.
"We don't dare to look for the foodstuff under the debris," said 65-year-old Kanchi Gurung of Aprik village.
While the helicopter scanned northern Gorkha for an hour, more than a dozen VDCs in constituencies one, two and three appeared to have been afflicted in the same way. Tall, well-constructed school buildings and health posts, hospitals, police stations and various other structures were completely damaged.
Plastic and torn tents were scattered everywhere. Ten to 25 people were sheltering under one makeshift tent. They rushed to an open space as soon as they hear the whirr of the chopper. Their eagerness for relief packages was obvious.
The helicopter, which had gone to pick up inured victims, stopped off at five points. However, the pilot couldn't find any cases of serious injury as treatment had already been provided on Wednesday.
When the helicopter reached a place in dire need of relief, around 200 people gathered. Unfortunately, the relief packages were enough for just 10 families.
"I came to pick up the injured but also brought along some relief packages thinking that would give you some respite," said the pilot to the affected families.
"I observed almost every village in Gorkha and the worst hit are Laprak and Barpak," said the pilot adding that he has been working non-stop to rescue the villagers right since the massive earthquake jolted the country.
Informing that he had rescued up to 40 injured in one day, he said, "I have been flying continuously for six days." On one day he reached a village with relief material but it wasn't needed there, he further said, adding that he later dropped the material off at another village, which was completely destroyed.
Elaborating on his rescue efforts, he hinted that relief hasn't reached those who are in direst need. He even opined that the massive earthquake had pushed Gorkha back 20 years.
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