Majhi is one of the fortunate survivors in the village where many villagers lost their near and dear ones, their house and cattle to the quake.
The Saturday noon quake has utterly jolted this village, claiming the life of five persons and all the cattle. The village is running short for good, and safer place to shelter as everywhere is rubble. A foul smell has started emanating from the bodies of the dead, posing a threat to outbreak of an epidemic.
The survivors of the village are living under the tent, spending nights under open sky, amid the fear of any other untoward activities. It is learnt that government and non-governmental agencies have reached the place with relief materials and for the rescue of those sustaining injuries. Although a team of local police hit the sight here for the record keeping of the quake and its damages, no other Samaritan person or agency have appeared here, further adding pain to the survivors.
The other parts of the country, especially the mountainous district, are also hit hard by the quake. But when one comes here and take a look around this village in Sindhupalchowk district, this place casts a gloomy picture.
The bereaved families of the victim jump for joy when they see new people coming, hoping they would pay heed to their tragic stories, or would bring in relief materials.
Some 1,300 people have been reported dead in Sindhupalchowk district due to quake while some 10,000 people have sustained injuries, both minor and severe.
According to Krishna Gyawali, the Chief District Office (CDO) of Sindhupalchowk district, more than 40,00 houses have been reduced to rubble because of the quake in the district. "The situation here is gruesome, due to the bad weather the rescue and relief operation has not been able to bring in to the istrict," shared CDO Gyawali.
Some 15,000 Nepal Army and Nepal Police personnel have been deployed in the district lately and some 100 sets of tents has been received in wake of proving rescue and relief package to the victims. But since, number of tents received is disproportionately less to the number of victims, CDO Gyawali is in dither who to and how to distribute the tents.
A special team from National News Agency (RSS) which reached the northern part of Sindhupalchowk district for onsite news collection came across a much destructive and frightful scenario.
District hospital still runs its activities inside a tent
A single helicopter has been tasked with launching the rescue effort in the district. The locals are confounded as to where they should go to seek help and whom they should call on. Tomshanker Dulal, a local of Baguwa of Melamchi Municipality-12 said, “We do not know what to do and not to do. We don’t have a house anymore, there is no food and we are living inside a tent.” At least four persons had died in the front yard of Dulal’s house during the earthquake.
Likewise, Ganesh Dulal lamented saying only five houses were standing and that too precariously out of a total of 605 houses as the rest were leveled in his area and that relief had not yet arrived.
Another local Balkrishna Dahal said, “We are living inside makeshift tents and we have not received any relief from anywhere.” There is an unbearable stench of putrefaction from the corpses that are yet to be extricated from the rubble of the collapsed buildings.
The Khanal Gaun at Thakani has been virtually wiped off the scene in the devastating seismic activity, the worst in 80 years of Nepal’s history. A local Krishna Khanal said, “Three persons including a 93-year-old man have died in our village. We have no food left and neither any clothing materials apart from what we are wearing. We cannot move to another place. We are living inside a makeshift tent.”
The entire villages are shrouded in blackout with no medicines. They are forced to spend frigid nights under such tents. At Thakani area, the Sri Krishna Higher Secondary School has been demolished, said a teacher Parashuram Ghimire, who hails from Chitwan district.
Stating that there was no situation to reopen the schools as all 25 houses in the village were completely destroyed by the massive earthquake, he demanded the government first provide them tent and food just for survival at present. Relief assistance to the victims was the first need, he said.
The deadly earthquake engulfed 26 houses at Sindhubhadaure of Melamchi Municipality-4. However, no human casualty has been reported. The destruction has buried livestock. The victims are in dire need of food and cloth to remain alive. All houses at Dhungechhap were completely destroyed and five people have been killed in the quake, said Om Bahadur Rayamajahi.
The RSS began field reporting of the devastations from the Shankarapur Municipality of Kathmandu and covered Bhotechaur, Haibung, Thakani, Melamchi Municipality of Sindhupalchowk and Kunta, Panchkhal, Dhulikhel and Banepa of Kavre.
The earthquake has completely destroyed old houses at Melamchi Bazaar and new and comparatively stronger houses are also not suitable for residence henceforth. Around 99 per cent houses at rural areas were destroyed by the earthquake, a local Sabin Dulal told RSS Chairman Kulchandra Wagle.
The victims are eagerly awaiting relief materials. They have not expected enough from the state but just a tent for shelter, food and medicines. RSS
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