Surkhet, January 2
It has been two months since the Jajakot earthquake on November 3 changed the lives of tens of thousands of people.
National Disaster Risk Reduction And Management Authority (NDRRMA) data says 59,162 people were affected by the earthquake in Jajarkot and Rukum West.
Most affected by the earthquake are still without a proper roof over their heads while many do not have warm clothes to wear.
Children, the elderly, and the ailing population, who await much-needed assistance, are enduring the most significant hardships. From Khalanga to Aathbiskot, the condition of almost every village remains distressingly similar. The landscape appears desolate, and residents are succumbing to a sense of hopelessness, doubting if any positive change will come their way.
Dan Bahadur Pariyar says the government lied to them about building temporary shelters within a month of the earthquake.
“Two months have gone by and we’ll still sleep in the cold. We still have not received the first instalment promised. When will help come,” says Pariyar a resident of Nalgad 12.
The government has said it will provide Rs 25,000 to those affected by the earthquake.
The village most affected by the earthquake is Chuiri. Despite efforts by cadres from a few political parties to construct about 20 to 25 temporary shelters, there has been no progress on the government’s promise to build these structures for more people in the area.
Around 80 per cent of the 200 homes in Chuiri village have been completely damaged. The other homes that still stand are at risk of crumbling down at any time. That fear has meant almost the entire village is living outside.
For the past two months, citizens have been enduring a challenging existence under tarpaulin shelters. Earthquake survivors express that the conditions are becoming increasingly difficult as the cold intensifies day by day, making it hard to cope with living under tents.
