GORKHA, Jan 5: The Daraudi River flows between Jholunge of Saurpani VDC and Baluwa, Simjung VDC in Gorkha district. Mana Kumari Gurung, 40, now shelters in a hut with corrugated sheets at Baluwa. She frequently comes outside and gazes toward what used to be Jholunge village with its 26 houses until it was wiped off the map by the April 25 earthquake. One of the houses in the village adjoining the quake epicenter of Barpak belonged to her.
“It was really horrific. I almost fainted when the houses started to crumble. One of my neighbors was hit and killed by a rock rolling down from the cliffs above. The houses all turned to dust. We were rescued somehow by our neighbors,” Mana Kumari said, recalling that day.
In the wake of the earthquake, Jholunge remains under serious threat of landslides.
“Big rocks still keep falling time and again. Jholunge is now deserted and living there is almost impossible now,” said Suk Bahadur Gurung, 55, who is also from the striken village.
“Bhattarai (former prime minister who was elected from Gorkha constituency-1) visited us in May and assured us we would be relocated in a safer place. However, we came to know that he is no more in parliament and we’re not sure we’ll ever be relocated,” he added.
Lawmakers demand relief and rehabilitation for disaster survivo...
Many people visited the village, saw the plight of the locals and assured them of resettlement but they forgot about their assurances once they left, said a furious Mana Kumari.
The 26 households from Jholunge have put up huts at Baluwa and are awaiting rehabilitation while they make do with the limited amounts of relief they have received so far.
“Forget about rehabilitation; we are yet to get even the Rs 10,000 winter allowance. Everyone is suffering from different health problems like the common cold and tonsils,” Mana Kumari added.
Likewise, 70 households from Pendisa of Sertung VDC in Dhading have been sheltering in makeshift huts at a camp at Alchhi Danda at district headquarters.
“We are trying to adjust in these huts in this chilling weather. Surviving the cold with our limited number of rugs and blankets is difficult,” said Kasmaya Tamang, 24. “Rehabilitation in Pendisa itself looks impossible given the danger of landslides,” claimed Kasmaya.
While the quake-displaced worry about rehabilitation and suffer the cold, the efforts of the government authorities are completely lacking in coordination.
“District Disaster Relief Committee (DDRC) Gorkha had decided in May to relocate the affected people from 17 different places. On Tuesday, the DDRC decided to write to the concerned authorities and the Department of Mines and Geology to conduct studies on landslide risks in different villages of Gorkha,” said Uddav Timalsena, the chief district officer (CDO).
However, the Department of Mines and Geology is yet to receive directives about where to conduct its geological surveys. “Neither the reconstruction authority nor any concerned ministry has identified the sites for geological survey.
Though we don’t have sufficient manpower, the department is ready to hire professionals and conduct the surveys once we are told clearly where to do the surveys,” said Sarbajeet Prasad Mahato, director general of the department.
According to Padam Kumar Mainali, spokesperson of the Ministry of Urban Development, the ministry has been collecting data and sending teams of experts to different districts to identify and finalize the places for relocation and rehabilitation of the quake victims.
Meanwhile, Keshav Acharya, deputy spokesperson at the Ministry of Home Affairs, said the ministry has so far been focusing on distribution of relief materials. He said the ministry is waiting for instructions and coordination by the recently-formed reconstruction authority.
