RASUWA, March 5: After living a displaced life for more than 33 months, a large number of quake victims have headed for their home villages for the reconstruction of their houses destroyed by the earthquake in 2015. This has emptied the makeshift tents at Dhunche, Bogatitar among other places.
District HQ wears a deserted look as quake victims return home
After signing the agreement for the reconstruction grant, the quake victims of Haku, Dandagaun, Thulogaun, Ramche, Dhaibung, Dhunche, among other places, have started returning to their villages padlocking their makeshift tents. Reconstruction was speeded up in the villages after the government fixed the deadline for receiving the grant.
According to Nimdindu Tamang, the ward chief of Amachodingmo Rural Municipality-1, 362 quake victims of Thulohaku and Hakubesi returned to their villages as soon as they received the first tranche of the reconstruction grant. He further said that 50 of the quake victims have received the second tranche too while two have also been recommended for the third tranche.
Hundreds of people were rendered homeless after their houses crumbled and land cracked in the catastrophic earthquake.
"We have already received the grant and now we are planning to complete the construction of our house by July," said Yangjen Tamang, a local of Haku. In the district headquarters Dhunche, there were four camps of quake victims. However, they have started leaving the camps in recent days.
With this, the government has started the process for relocating the victims living a displaced life. As many as 106 victims of Gosainkunda, Uttargaya and Kalika rural municipalities have been provided land and land ownership certificates. Krishnakanta Upadhyaya, district chapter chief of National Reconstruction Authority, informed Republica that preparations are underway to relocate other victims as well. The sluggish relocation of the displaced had also delayed their agreement.
Caption: Makeshift tents of the quake-displaced victims of Haku in the district headquarters Dhunche.
