Gorkha, February 21

A settlement of earthquake survivors at Simalchour of Gorkha Municipality has been facing acute shortage of drinking water. Earthquake survivors displaced from Kerauja are now residing in Simalchour.

They have to spend more than one hour to fetch a pot of water, said Kanchhi Gurung of Simalchour. There is no source of drinking water near their settlement and they have to go to other places to get water which takes around one hour.

The locals were compelled to shift to Simalchour from Kerauja in 2017, two years after the devastating Gorkha earthquake, as it took long to shift the settlement they have no area to construct a house. The displaced earthquake survivors have requested the municipality time and again to arrange drinking water facility, but in vain. Simalchour folks are now spending their days in search of a water source.

Kajiram Gurung, a local, said they were ready to do all other necessary work if they got a source of water and pipeline. He said they have been facing lots of problems due to lack of drinking water.

Displaced earthquake survivors are not only facing water crunch, but they have also been deprived of electricity after shifting here one-and-a half years ago.

Gurung said, “No one listens our problems and helps us. The only thing in this place is no risk of landslide.”

More than 22 families of Kerauja and Sama of Northern Gorkha are residing at Simalchour after being displaced.