Confusion in reconstruction of earthquake-affected settlements

"Until a new house is built, it will be a misery like this," he said.

He goes to India for seasonal labor from April to October and from November to March. Since the earthquake, he has not been able to go outside nor has he found any other employment in the village. He is worried about how to make a living when the food provided by the municipality and organizations is not enough. Amar Bahadur Mahar of Bheri municipality-4 is also suffering from the problem of family members falling ill every week since the earthquake. His wife Birmi and elder daughter Kamala are suffering from fever for a week now. He said that the family of 8 is still suffering because they have to live in self-isolation.

"Every day the mountain is leaking due to rain, it is difficult to save food and clothes, and the landslide has started falling from above the mountain," he said, "There is also concern that one day the family members will be buried together with the mountain and make a single grave." So we are forced to stay awake at night if it rains. It was difficult to save the family until the house was built.'' Due to this, he complained that it was difficult to meet the expenses of the family.

Most of the fields of earthquake victims in Nalgad are barren. Gyan Bahadur Mahar of Nalgad Municipality-1 said that because of this, he started to worry about what to eat in winter. He has been going to India for labor for about 9 months every year for about 15 years, when he came home to celebrate Dasain last year, when the earthquake happened. He said that since the earthquake, he has only been sleeping and eating. He says that the food given by the donors is reaching so far. Even his wife, who goes to work in markets such as Rimna and Dalli, has not been able to return to work since the earthquake.

'If it was not clear when the house would be built, then he could have gone to India and earned 1/2 month and brought it here, they said that the price of the house is needed to complete the government process of the new house, so he could not go,' he said, 'The heat and mosquitoes are bothering me all night long. We are living a more difficult life than animals in Tahara, but many lives have been spared.'

Due to the earthquake that occurred on October 17 last year, 48 thousand 517 beneficiaries have been established in Jajarkot alone. Out of which 34 thousand 954 temporary houses have been constructed. The rest of the family is forced to stay in Tripal and the old house. According to Chief District Officer of Jajarkot, Umakant Adhikari, after sending the second installment of 25,000 for temporary housing to the account of the local level, it is being distributed through the ward office.

Similarly, the second installment has been released for 16,000 earthquake victims in Rukum West. Chief District Officer of Rukum West, Hari Prasad Pant said that they were given money at the rate of 25,000 in the first phase for the construction of temporary housing, but this year, 40 million rupees were sent to the local level account. According to him, 32 thousand 6 beneficiaries have been established throughout the district. He informed that an additional budget has been requested from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority to provide funds to the rest.

The federal government has allocated 21 billion rupees for reconstruction in the budget of the current financial year. But Bir Bahadur Giri, Chairman of Barekot Rural Municipality, said that the amount was kept in the Abanda Fund of the Ministry of Finance. "That amount should have gone to the National Reconstruction Authority, the amount placed in the Abanda fund can be taken anywhere," he said, "so far, the detailed damage assessment has not been done, which makes it unclear when the reconstruction will take place." If the distribution of funds has not yet been completed, there is a problem due to the lack of a procedure for reconstruction, said the Jajarkot Pragya officer. "Procedures are also under discussion in the Federal Parliament, there may be re-evaluation work," he said, "Now we are in the process of distributing the second installment of temporary housing as soon as possible." Meghraj Sharma of Khalanga Bazar said that about 100 houses are being constructed in the headquarters of Khalanga.

'There is so much delay in the distribution of funds for temporary housing, it will be more painful to build a house later, I am building a house myself after waiting for a long time,' he said According to them, even when building houses by themselves, there are problems with map pass, shortage of workers, high cost of construction materials.

Citizen leader Rajuvikram Shah said that although the government's efforts in post-earthquake rescue are satisfactory, they are being neglected now. According to him, looking at the situation of temporary housing construction, it is seen that the reconstruction will be more delayed. "Government gave 5 lakhs at most, it is not enough to build 2 rooms, according to the standard, it costs at least 15 lakh rupees to build a house like now." According to him, the house that needs to be retrofitted now has to be demolished. "Almost 40 percent of the beneficiaries are in a condition where they can live by retrofitting the houses, now the beneficiaries have a big problem, the government does not give subsidies if they do not sell their houses," he said, "The houses that have been sold are generally cracked, the property that was saved for the old family is in that house. Bir Bahadur Giri, chairman of Barekot Rural Municipality, said that there is no option for people to stay in safe housing. "However, permanent housing should be built," he said, "the government cannot make any excuse for it." "We could have done something too, our way of working is closed, he also does not do anything," he said, "temporary housing procedures were also made on the same basis, distribution of funds to families of 3 people and families of 20 people at the same rate." It has been done, the procedure of reconstruction will be the same.