Ramechhap, April 23

Victims of the massive April 25 earthquake last year have started rebuilding their houses on their own after the government did nothing to help them.

Keshar Shrestha of Pakarbas VDC-6 claimed that though five teams had visited the village for data collection and survey, no government agency provided them any help. “We started rebuilding our houses after winds started blowing away our makeshift tents,” he said, adding that locals had constructed earthquake-resistant houses using local technology and materials.

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• No end in sight to the suffering of people

Navjyoti Bazaar, devastated by deadly quake of April 25 last year has sprung to life again. The villagers had begun rebuilding their houses after they lost hope of assistance from the government.

After cold claimed the lives of several quake victims last winter, locals began reconstructing their houses on their own. "We had no choice but to rebuild our houses or succumb to the cold,” said Norbu Sherpa, a local. He added that they didn’t expect any help from the government as they had already rebuilt their houses.

Manoj Lama of Pinkhuri said he started rebuilding his house as he did not receive a tent even after visiting various government offices. "Many villagers have started rebuilding their houses on their own as it is wiser than waiting for government help indefinitely,” Lama added.

The government had announced a grant of Rs 2 lakh to each of the quake victims. The victims, however, have yet to receive the grant money in the district. Still, hundreds of thousands of victims across the district are living in makeshift tents.

As many as 42 persons lost their lives in the earthquakes last year in Ramechhap. The quake had damaged 53,000 houses in the district.