Earthquake survivors not getting tarp even after five days since disaster

(Hemanta KC/RSS)

Jajarkot, Nov 8: Ramita Thapa of Nalgad municipality-3 grabbed her two kids and ran out of the house when the earthquake struck in the night of November 3. In the course of rushing out, she was injured in her leg. She is now living under a tarpaulin tent on the side of the road at local Nayabasti in Khalanga, the district headquarters after her house collapsed due to the temblor.

Thapa was so traumatized that she is now troubled by hallucination as if her body and the ground is shaking all the time. She cannot venture to go beyond the open road. Her 14-year-old daughter is also traumatized after the earthquake. She cries 'Quake! Quake!' in her sleep.

Most of the dwellers of the district headquarters, who are in mental trauma, are homeless and spending the day and night under a tarp shed on the roadside. Those people from places outside the district headquarters who had been living in rented rooms are also in problem after the houses they had been living in were destroyed in the disaster.

"The tarpaulin and other relief materials are distributed in the name of the house owners and due to this the earthquake victims from places outside the district headquarters who have been living on rent are deprived of the relief materials," lamented Milan Chadara of Thaple, Bheri Municipality-3.

He shared that when he went to the local ward office asking for a tarp, he was turned away by the officials there who said the tarps are distributed only to the house owners. He said people like him with addresses outside the district headquarters are in problem as they did not get the tarpaulin and relief materials. Milan's family is living in the open ground. They are exasperated at not getting relief even though begging for the same multiple times, but being turned away.

Ganesh Thapa, another person from outside the district headquarters, who, like Milan, was living on rent with his family, echoed Milan. They both share similar distress.

Ganesh said that he at last got a tarp after he approached Suresh Sunar, the Chief District Officer of Jajarkot, and related his agony.

Jhalak Malla of Thaple maintained that in the beginning the names of people like him coming from places out of the district headquarters and living in rented rooms were also collected for as eligible persons for relief, but they were not handed the relief later on saying that their names are not included in the list of eligible persons. "This has really, really saddened us in this difficult time," he rued. His family has not been given tarpaulin to date.

Many earthquake survivors in Barekot are living in a similar plight as they have not got the relief supplies. Prem Bohara of Barekot rural municipality-4 said that he no longer feels like going to work as the aftershocks have been rattling Jajarkot. According to him, most children and older people are terrorized by the disaster. The children are mentally traumatized after their homes and schools were badly damaged. They are worried about their studies.

The 6.4 magnitude earthquake impeded Jajarkot's development path when the district had gradually started catching the development path.

Meanwhile, in the neighbouring district of Rukum West people have complained of not getting the relief materials.

The extent of damage in various Palikas of Jajarkot district

Three hundred and forty-four houses are completely damaged while 712 houses are partially damaged in Bheri municipality. Similarly, two school buildings have collapsed and 17 have suffered partial damage. Five government offices have also been damaged in this municipality. Thirty-six people have been killed and 65 injured in this municipality.

In Nalgad municipality, 200 houses were completely damaged while 600 houses suffered partial damage. Similarly, 12 school buildings have been completely destroyed while 21 school buildings have suffered partial damage. Six government offices have been damaged in this municipality. Fifty-two people have died and 73 injured in the disaster.

In Chhedagada, 100 houses have been completely damaged and 500 others have suffered partial damage. Three school buildings have suffered partial damage. Two people were killed and one person injured in this municipality.

Kushe rural municipality reported 95 houses as completely damaged and 300 partially damaged. Four school buildings suffered complete damage while 17 school buildings were partially damaged. One government office has completely collapsed while 17 other offices are partially damaged. Two people were killed and one injured in the disaster in this rural municipality.

In Barekot rural municipality, police said 160 houses have been completely damaged and 560 have suffered partial damage. Five school buildings have been completely destroyed while two school buildings are partially damaged. One government office has been completely damaged while two government offices have suffered partial damage. Four persons were killed while four were injured.

Likewise in Shivalaya rural municipality, one house has been completely damaged and 37 have been partially damaged. Five school buildings have suffered partial damage. One government office has been partially destroyed. One person has been injured in the disaster in this rural municipality.

In Junichande rural municipality, 270 houses were completely damaged and 4056 houses were partially damaged.

Jajarkot reported 1,170 houses completely damaged and 7,166 houses partially damaged. Twenty-three school buildings have been completely damaged and 57 school buildings partially damaged. One hundred and one persons have been killed and 152 injured in the disaster in Jajarkot district.