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| Kaule village, Nuwakot district, May 2015 |
We cut short our trek and started our long journey back to Pokhara. The story of that journey has been told in http://sujoyrdas.blogspot.in/2015/09/mustang-and-lo-manthang-itinerary-part.html
The earthquake of 25th April 2015 was followed by a second major earthquake on 12thMay 2015 which further crippled Nepal.
The earthquake of 25th April 2015 was followed by a second major earthquake on 12thMay 2015 which further crippled Nepal.
Since the two earthquakes and the numerous aftershocks which have rocked this mountain kingdom, Nepal has been on the world map for the last one year.
The images and videos are by now all too familiar – rubble and shattered homes and buildings, cars smashed by rocks, large chunks of the hillside falling away into dust and ashes in a video, avalanches the size of large tidal waves sweeping up a camp, those familiar orange and blue shelters adorning the hillside shot by cameramen in helicopters, women trying to find their belongings in the rocks and bricks which were once their homes, and police and soldiers on their constant patrol trying to keep order in the world heritage monuments many of which are now lying in ruins.
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| Durbar Square Kathmandu soon after the earthquake |
Very little really.
The earthquake in Nepal was followed an agitation by the Madhesi parties against the new constitution which resulted in a border blockade with India for six months and brought the country to its feet.
Fuel and cooking gas were being black marketed, costs of all essential commodities spiralled out of control, flights were not refuelled at Kathmandu airport, long lines of buses, cars and motor bikes stood daily outside fuel pumps which were dry and foreign countries like USA, UK, Australia issued advisory warnings against travelling to Nepal.
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| Haze and pollution over Kathmandu as seen from Swayambhunath, April 2016 |
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| Roland Hunter of The Mountain Company at Everest Base Camp, September 2015 on a recce visit to assess the earthquake damage on the trekking trails to Everest |
The blockade was lifted in early 2016 but by then the damage was already done. However the trek agencies and hoteliers are optimistic that autumn 2016 will bring back the tourists if there is stability on the political front and not further agitation by the Madhesis.
But what of the reconstruction process?
One year later the Nepal Reconstruction Authority (NRA) is sitting with $4 billion dollars of aid to distribute to the people but due to the lack of proper infrastructure and systems for distribution these funds remain locked. In fact, after the Government announced relief schemes, the number of those claiming to have lost their homes shot up from about 5.70 lac houses to around 7.70 lac houses and the NRA was called upon to verify the data once more, further setting back the recovery timeline.
The villagers had also been promised Rs 2 lacs each to rebuild their homes in earthquake proof designs – none of this money has reached them either as no design has been approved by the Government. But in actual fact the cost of an earthquake proof house would be to the tune of Rs 5 lac at least so where will the rest of the money come from?
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| The prototype at Kaule almost completed |
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| Building the roof of the prototype at Kaule |
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| Detailed drawings submitted to DUDBC for approval |
Until then as they say in Nepal, ke garne?
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| Butter lamps, Bodhnath, March 2016 |
