Thousands of homes in the Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) were marked red after an inspection carried out by government sent engineers, indicating that the buildings were uninhabitable. The KMC had provided relief amount to the owners of those houses and promised help in their demolition.
Similarly over 7,000 homes in Lalitpur Sub-metropolitan City were either destroyed or incurred heavy damage. The sub-metropolitan authority also provided relief amounts to those households. The officials had asked the people not to dwell in the buildings considered unfit by the authorities.
The damaged homes in the newly declared municipalities of Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur districts number in thousands and many people have been residing in them risking their lives.
"Buildings marked red should either be demolished or undergo thorough repair," Rudra Tamang, executive officer at the KMC, said. He conceded that many quake victims have been residing in seriously damaged buildings in the metropolis.
According to executive officer Tamang, the metropolis, too, does not have anything to offer to the quake victims as relief.
"How can we ask quake victims to live in makeshift tents in the chilling weather," questioned Tamang, adding that the quake victims returned to their damaged homes after they felt disappointed with the government's attitude.
Officials at the KMC also informed that some house owners have rented out their seriously damaged homes, while they themselves have moved to safer homes.
Bharatmani Pandey, chief of Lalitpur Sub-metropolis, also admitted that almost all the quake victims have been residing in damaged homes risking their lives. "We could not give any alternative to the quake victims. So they are compelled to reside in damaged homes," said Pandey.
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