Eight teams deployed in Panchthar

PHIDIM: Eight teams have been deployed for relief distribution in Panchthar targeting quake victims whose houses were damaged in the massive earthquake measuring 7.6 Richter on Saturday.

The District Natural Disaster Rescue Committee of Panchthar is carrying out relief distribution involving the district administration office, district police office and representatives of the Armed Police Force and secretaries of the concerned VDCs.

According to Chief District Officer Pradipraj Kandel, around 50 quake victims whose houses were damaged in the quake have got relief so far.

“We’ve provided Rs 5,000 and Rs3,000 to the families whose houses collapsed and whose houses developed cracks,” he said, adding collection of damage details was under way.

As per data with the DNDRC, 275 houses have been completely damaged in the quake while 294 others have suffered minor damage.

The quake victims, however, have complained of sluggish response of the police administration and authorities in collecting details of the damage.

Quake victims of places like Prangbung, Sidin, Memeng VDCs have demanded that the police administration visit the site to list the actual quake victims for relief distribution.

“The police are perhaps not visiting the site to collect quake-related damage thinking that people there will demand relief then and there, which is unfortunate for the victims,” said Jiban Kumar Rai, a local of Prangbung-2.

As for the details of the damage, Balkrishna Ojha, Panchthar chairperson of the Federation of non-government organisations in Nepal said the number of victims who lost their houses in the quake was triple the figure prepared by the police. “There are a number of families whose houses have been destroyed, but with inadequate relief, the victims are helpless,” said Ojha.

Meanwhile, the victims have demanded that the district administration do the needful to collect actual details of the damage and provide immediate relief to them.

Uneven relief distribution alleged

NAWALPARASI, May 1

At a time when thousands of people across the district are desperately awaiting relief following the devastating earthquake, there are reports of uneven distribution of the same in Nawalparasi.

While some places have attracted dozens of organisations willing to distribute relief to victims elsewhere, the victims here haven’t received any relief from any quarter a week into the massive earthquake.

While the quake victims in Kirtipur, Devchuli municipality-6 witnessed relief distribution by as many as 28 organisations in the past five days, all that the victims have received are food items like noodles, biscuits, beaten rice and rice.

“What we need is construction materials like cement, zinc sheets and the likes so that we can rebuild our houses,” said Rim Kumari Baral, a local.

The locals today voiced their concern about availing the construction materials to Chief District Officer Hari Mainali.

As many as 160 households in Bishaltar of Devchuli-9 are yet to get any relief.

As per sources at Red Cross Kawasoti, victims of Ruchang, Kotthar, Bulingtar, Hupsekot, Dhurkot, Dandajheri, Deurali and Jaubari are yet to get any relief.

Hari Prasad Chapagain, executive officer of Devchuli municipality, admitted that there was unequal distribution of relief and rued the lack of coordination among authorities while distributing relief.

“As they (the donors) distributed relief without any coordination with locals like us, it has resulted in unfair distribution. Some victims have received more than enough while others are empty-handed,” he said.

Relief materials worth Rs 10 million have been collected in the district till today.