NEPAL: Dwellers of all the villages of earthquake-affected Nepal that I visited in the last few days, expressed only one demand to the authorities concerned - build our houses, we will grow our crops.
They don’t want relief, any charity or “alms”; they will produce their own crops. They do not have much money with which they can build their houses.
They did not receive much relief and they do not long for it; they do not believe in temporary help. They only ask for cooperation to build their houses either from any foreign or from government’s fund.
Loosing their husbands in the April 25 tremor, both Machchheri Majhi and her daughter-in-law Bimala Majhi were looking towards the sky desolately while Machchheri was smoking.
The women, losing their husbands, are now living under thatched shed and do not know how long it will continue.
One handed Balaram himself is a juvenile but became father of Balabir but his son has become orphan after her mother’s death in the tremor. He cannot manage his crying minor son by one hand.
Balaram and Balabir were sons of the most respected house of the village but now do not know what to do now as they had to come down on the street due to the tremor.
A young mother Maya Devi with plastered leg was sitting by the street with her four month old baby in Shipa Ghat. She has no shed over her head. The scene of breastfeeding to her baby on the street is definitely not pleasant to anybody.
She said that she wants to be cured for her baby. If she gets a shelter she would be able to arrange food for both.
Sixteen families near Shipa Ghat Bridge are living in tents now. They want houses only to live then they will arrange food of their own in any way.
All 130 houses of Vinta village are completely damaged; 18 people were killed here. About 88 people have no shelter to live. Most of them were farmers or small traders. As they have their cultivable land they can grow crops. Prior of this, they need shelter.
People of Dhotar village are also facing the challenge of houses. They are now living under open sky.
Almost all the earthen houses were razed to the ground in Shindhu village.
We did not find any house unaffected of the tremor while passing through the hilly street of the area. Government accounts also said that 95 percent of houses were ravaged.
But the onlookers’ view and the villagers’ experiences said that the figure of damaged and unfit for living houses will be around 99 percent.
Bishnumaya Pourel, living on high hilly village Tingare with son, daughter-in-law and grandson said that all houses of his village were damaged. Six people were killed in her village, while two, seven and eight people in her neighboring villages in the tremor.
In Dhuseini village, a total of 165 houses were damaged and unfit for living. Premprashad and Moniprashad are little better as they have a shelter in Katmandu. They will go there to live.
Weeping Premprashad said that he and his wife built their houses over a span of 33 years but now they will have to leave this place. None will understand their pain.
The devastating natural curse has turned the poetic habitats into in hell with a thousand of innocent homeless people. This is the picture of Shindhupal Chawk.
Everything, including houses, schools, colleges, hospitals and hotels, is affected. The injured are being treated by the village doctors.
Not only have the people of Shindhupal, rather all the people of the surrounding area wanted rupees. It is true that all people have come down on the streets. They want to go back to their homes. They want houses to live in.
Cracks have developed everywhere in the hilly roads in the aftershocks and the condition is deteriorating at everyday. Life and death are equal here. Only those who suffered will understand the pain.
Affected Nepalese have much self-respect. They do not want alms rather want to work after their dwelling arrangements are made.
BDST: 2130 HRS, MAY 06, 2015
Shahjahan/SR/RR
