CBS team in Parbat to re-assess quake-damage

Published On: January 13, 2017 02:21 AM NPT By: Chabilal Tiwari

PARBAT, Jan 13: Twenty months after the devastating earthquake government deployed damage assessment team has reached Parbat for preparing detailed damaged assessment report. The reconstruction process will be carried out on the basis of this report.

The assessment team which comprises of 29 engineers and 29 social mobilizers is deployed by the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS). It will collect data on the extent damage done to infrastructures by the earthquake. The team was dispatched following complains that some genuine earthquake victims were left out in the assessment reports conducted in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake.

"To address the grievances of quake victims we formed this new team of experts and technicians for an actual assessment of the destruction," Shiva Shrestha, chief of CBS in Parbat said. “These teams will spend about 45 days for assessing all damaged infrastructures across the district.” Once the report comes through necessary measures will be planned for carrying out the reconstruction process, Shrestha added.

The government has begun detailed damaged assessment of houses destroyed by earthquake in other affected quake districts after completing assessment of the 14 worst quake-hit districts. Parbat is one of the 17 districts identified as quake-affected districts.

Although, the disaster didn't caused any human casualties in the district several infrastructure and houses were badly damaged. Ranipani, Pakuwa, Beulibas, Sarau Khola, Bhorle and Kurgha VDCs of the district were the most affected VDCs.

According the DAO's initial assessment about 2, 344 houses were fully destroyed and 6,777 were partially damaged by the quake. The government has already provided relief to them. But a recent survey showed that additional 11,000 were affected by the quake and their owners have been demanding aid from the government. The huge addition forced the DAO to reassess the damage by deploying a team of experts, Chief District Officer in Parbat, Shambhu Prasad Marasini, said.