Salyan earthquake victims left in the lurch

One year after a devastating earthquake struck Jajarkot, Rukum West and Salyan districts, many victims in Salyan are still grappling with the aftermath, waiting in vain for promised relief funds to build temporary shelters. Despite the submission of damage reports by local governments, families in Salyan continue to face the harsh reality of inadequate support.

The earthquake, which struck the districts on November 3 last year with its epicentre in Jajarkot, ravaged over 4,600 homes in Salyan, with Darma Rural Municipality alone reporting 4,080 damaged structures. Yet, of these, only 1,680 families have received the initial instalment of Rs25,000. In Kumakh Rural Municipality, just 129 out of 167 families affected have seen any aid, while in Bagchaur Municipality, only 154 of 380 families have received the first instalment. Many are still awaiting the second tranche.

The government’s promise of Rs50,000 per household for temporary shelters has not materialised, leaving victims to navigate a host of challenges. With reconstruction funds scarce, hundreds are still living in makeshift shelters or partially damaged homes.

Bimala Damai, a resident of ward 5 in Darma Rural Municipality, shared her plight, having borrowed money to construct a temporary shelter in the hope of receiving the promised funds. The ongoing delay has left her struggling to repay loans and cope with health issues.

Padam Bahadur Khatri, 55, also from Darma, said he has lost hope of receiving aid. He criticised the government for providing only ‘symbolic support’ while neglecting the urgent needs of victims.

Bahadur Damai from Lirapaja voiced frustration over the lack of attention given to Salyan’s earthquake victims, contrasting their situation with that of those in Jajarkot and Rukum. Despite widespread devastation, he lamented that victims have received only tarpaulins as relief, a far cry from what is needed for proper reconstruction.

Many victims, like Damai, have resorted to hastily demolishing the upper floors of their damaged homes to create temporary shelters, anticipating that relief funds and reconstruction budgets would follow. “Without distribution of the promised aid, we’re left in lurch, living in partially collapsed homes,” he said. “I had to repair the ground floor of my damaged house after demolishing the upper floors, and now I’m struggling to live in what’s left.”

Resham Bahadur Oli, chief administrative officer of Darma Rural Municipality, said that while all necessary documentation has been submitted to the relevant authorities, hassles have hindered many earthquake victims from receiving the relief funds for temporary shelters.

He said that among the 4,080 victims in Darma, only 1,680 have received the initial Rs25,000 instalment, with many still awaiting any form of relief. Although the government promised funds for reconstructing damaged homes, only Rs30 million was allocated for Darma, primarily for rebuilding schools and health facilities, leaving individual victims with scant hope for reconstruction assistance.

In Bagchaur Municipality, acting chief administrative officer Hari Bahadur Kathayat said that out of 380 damaged homes, only 157 families have received the first instalment of relief funds. With little expectation of further aid, many have begun repairing their homes on their own.

Shambhu Prasad Regmi, Chief District Officer and head of the District Disaster Management Committee, said that Rs50.4 million has been disbursed as the first instalment for 1,917 earthquake victims. However, he acknowledged that bureaucratic delays at the municipal level have left many victims without the funds needed for temporary shelters.