What you should know
An earthquake memorial pillar has been constructed in Barpak, the epicenter of the Baisakh 12, 2072 earthquake. Although the list of 14 districts that lost their lives due to the earthquake is supposed to be listed in the column, only the details of Gorkha have been kept because the names of all are not available.
Sub-engineer Purushottam Pangeni of Federal Urban Development and Building Construction Office, Pokhara, said that the names of 490 dead people of Gorkha were written on copper sheets and placed on the memorial pillar. In the memorial column, there was a table to keep the names of the dead from other 14 districts that were heavily affected by the earthquake.
After the names of the dead from other 13 districts affected by the earthquake were not received, the Central Project Implementation Unit decided to put the names of the dead from Gorkha and the number of other districts on the memorial pillar. But Pangeni said that the number of other districts is not equal.
"All the work on the memorial pillar has been completed, the numbers of the earthquake-affected districts are yet to be put," he said, "We are requesting the numbers from the Ministry of Home Affairs through the Central Project Implementation Unit." He said that the names of the dead in 13 districts affected by the earthquake were requested from the Ministry of Home Affairs, but could not be received.
The construction of Earthquake Memorial Park was started on 14th November 2074 after signing the contract. Inside the park, the memorial pillar is the main attraction. Pangeni said that the work of the memorial pillar has been completed. 14 separate/separate pillars have been prepared in remembrance of those who lost their lives in the earthquake in the 14 earthquake-hit districts. A glove is placed over the 14 pillars .
He said that the names of all those who lost their lives in the earthquake will be written on the wall of the column, but if the names are not received, the number will be mentioned on the column. Although the contract was signed in 2074 with the goal of completing the construction in 30 months, the deadline of the contractor company was extended time and again as the work was not completed without getting the name of the deceased. Home Wahadur Baniyan of Swachhand/Home Nirman JV, who was entrusted with the construction of the memorial pillar, said that all the work has been completed.
"We have been asking for the names of all 14 districts for two years, but now we have given the name of Gorkha district only after the official name did not come," he said. Baniyan said that structures such as two toilets, a fire pit, a park, and a road have already been constructed.
It is mentioned in the agreement that it will cost 1.3 million 7 lakh 15 thousand to complete the construction of the park. Locals expect that the number of domestic tourists to Barpak will increase after the construction of the park with the earthquake memorial pillar is completed.
