Parliamentary panels for relocating over 100 villages

1. Districtwise report

• 6o villages in 18 VDCS of Sindhupalchok need to be relocated
• No presence of government from Barhabise to Tatopani
• Around 20 VDCs need to be relocated in Dhading
• More than 12 villages need to be relocated in Sindhuli
• Three villages need to be relocated in Okhaldhunga

More than 100 village settlements in four districts – Sindhupalchowk, Dhading, Sindhuli and Okhaldhunga – need to be relocated to different places for the resettlement of earthquake victims and the number could increase, as detailed studies are yet to be done, according to preliminary reports of parliamentary panels visiting affected villages.Of the 14 visiting teams, four presented their reports to the National Disaster Management, Monitoring and Direction Special Committee headed by Speaker Subas Chandra Nembang today, urging the need of immediate rescue of hundreds of people to safer places to avoid more casualties due to landslides during monsoon. Other teams are preparing their reports and will present them at tomorrow’s meeting of the committee. Ninety-nine per cent houses are damaged in Sindhupalchowk and 60 villages in 18 VDCs need to be relocated, a visiting panel member, Rekha Sharma, has stated in her report. Out of 90 households in Larke village, 14 have moved to safer places themselves, while people in the remaining households are stranded, as they have no other option, she stated, adding, “The village is remote and helicopters are supplying food and drinking water. The villagers must be rescued to safer place immediately.”“As land has ruptured at many places in Sindhupalchowk, it is doubtful whether the district will be liveable after monsoon begins. How many places are liveable can be ascertained only after experts’ study,” states her report. Around 200 vehicles are stranded near Tatopani custom and their parts are being stolen, the report adds. There is no presence of government from Barhabise to Tatopani and Chinese troops are working to remove obstacles on roads, Sharma said while presenting the report.Top Bahadur Rayamajhi, a panel member visiting Dhading, said, “Around 20 VDCs need to be relocated. Five remote villages have no motorable road access and 14 other VDCs will have no road access after monsoon begins. People have not received final rites expenses and relief money allocated by the government so far. Relief materials are provided to those having access to people in power. The government should respond to this immediately,” he said. Lactating mothers have swollen body parts while infants seem to be suffering from pneumonia in Okhaldhunga, according to Durga Paudel, a member of parliamentary team visiting the district. She said the people in the villages were a terrified lot and cited the case of a man who had a nightmare about the earthquake, got up and started running, ending up with broken legs. “Many people are suffering from depression as 80 per cent of houses are uninhabitable and even the remaining people are living outdoors due to fear,” Paudel said. Three villages need to be relocated, while 16 households of Herpa village need to be taken to safer places immediately, as they are living at a place where landslides are occurring continuously, she said.As almost all settlements are scattered, development of an integrated settlement plan is imperative, according to Paudel.

More than 12 villages — Hariharpurgadhi, Pipalmadi, Bastipur, Amale, Tamajor, Shanteshwori, Netrakali, Rampur, Ratatar, Ratnawati, Sankhang and Pokhari — of Sindhuli need to be relocated as they are prone to landslides and have no origins of drinking water, said Ananda Prasad Dhungana, member of the panel visiting the district.

• 60 villages in 18 VDCs of Sindhupalchowk need to be relocated• No presence of government from Barhabise to Tatopani • Around 20 VDCs need to be relocated in Dhading• Three villages need to be relocated in Okhaldhunga• More than 12 villages need to be relocated in Sindhuli