7 August, Dhading:
The locals at the quake-ravaged Sertung VDC in Dhading district have said that they will be able to rebuild their quake-battered houses unless the government comes to their aid.
As almost of the total 1,189 households at this VDC have been affected by the 7.6-magnitude earthquake, Sertung folks have been residing in makeshift shelters and living with the food items provided by the World Food Programme, World Vision among other humanitarian organizations.
Kami Ghale, a local at Sertung-5, whose house was also damaged by the quake, said that he was very worried for making a house again for him although living in a makeshift shelter and relying with the relief materials of the humanitarian organizations had made his life relatively easier.
Furthermore, what has added to his worry is that Ghale has already spent the Rs 7,000 and additional Rs 15,000 provided by the government for the quake-victims like him. Yet, empty-handed Ghale harbors a dream in his eyes to build another house of his own and limp back to life.
The government had also announced to provide Rs 200,000 to each household whose houses were completely damaged by the quake. The Sertung folks are relentlessly waiting for this financial aid to build a roof above their head.
In addition, the government had also announced to provide subsidized loan upto Rs 2,500,000 to the people in the urban area and Rs 1,500,000 in the rural area to rebuild the quake-damaged houses.
With the monsoon rain, the living in the temporary shelter have also been increasingly uncomfortable, shared Hasimaya BK, another quake-hit person from Sertung-4. BK , who is thinking of building a house as its earliest, remarked,” I have heard that the government provided loan in subsidized price but I don’t know when?”
The VDC, in the northern part of the district, is relatively remote and does not have road connectivity. The WFP has been ferrying various relief materials, including the food items in its own choppers. The organization has also been carrying relief materials dispatched by other humanitarian organizations.
Amid this, the Sertung folks are still lying in wait for the government’s decisive support which could help them build a roof above their head. RSS
