More than 7 per cent home damaged

Kathmandu, May 4, 2015: 

The catastrophic earthquake, with epicenter at Barpak, Gorkha on April 25, has hit hard on the residence of the Nepalese people as it damaged more than seven percent homes and government buildings across the country, rendering more than 400,000 families homeless.

According to the Nepal Emergency Operation Centre, an agency under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA), there were 5,477,224 houses across the country while 391,705 houses were damaged in the quake.

More than 191 thousand private homes and 10,744 government buildings were completely destroyed in the quake while 175,162 individual houses and 14,741 government buildings were partially damaged.

The calamity caused a huge loss of lives in Sindhupalchowk, Kathmandu and Nuwakot while it devastated more houses in Dolakha, Gorkha, Nuwakot and Kavre districts.

Housing structure was hit hard in Gorkha, the district with the epicentre, as out of its 66,506 individual homes, 44,877 collapsed and 13,438 were partially damaged by the quake.

Likewise Nuwakot lost around 30,000 houses out of 59,215 individual homes while 15,000 were partially destroyed in the havoc.  

Of 45,688 houses in the districts, Dolakha witnessd 5,000 houses being collapsed and 53,000 partially damaged while the total number of residence in Sindhupalchowk is yet to be ascertained, said the MoHA.

The calamity destroyed a large number of houses and government buildings in Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Bhaktapur, Dhading, Ramechham and other districts.

Although the number of people rendered homeless by the catastrophe was high, the distribution of tents is not satisfactory as only 159,134 pieces of tents have been distributed till today evening.

Not only in the far-flung areas, but quake-hit victims in and around Kathmandu Valley have been long complaining of not getting a temporary shelter above them.

However, the government maintained that it is trying hard to manage tarpaulin sheets and tents while more tents, 100,000 pieces of them received from India and about 60 quintal of tents arrived from China on Sunday, will be sent to the affected areas.

The quake has claimed 7,366 lives by Monday evening while 14,371 were injured. According to the MoHA, 7,240 dead bodies have been handed over to their families or kin.

The quake killed 57 foreigners, 2 Nepal Army,5 Nepal Police and 1 Armed Police Force personnel and 11 civil servants.

1.8 billion reached to the quake-hit districts

The government has channeled 1 billion 791 million rupees to the quake-hit districts which is continuously being distributed to the victims, said Laxmi Prasad Dhakal, spokesperson at MoHA.

By Monday evening, according to the MoHA, 98,191 quintal rice, 690 quintal sugar, 573 quintal salt, 3249 quintal beaten rice and 45 quintal pulses was distributed among the victims while 182,034 cartons of noodles, 57,775 cartons of biscuits, 15,798 cases of water, 3,528 sets of solar light, 213,172 pieces of water purifying tablets and 2,670 set hygiene kits were distributed.

Meanwhile, Asian Development Bank (ADB) has pledged 20 billion rupees to Nepal in order to assist the latter in reconstruction of the damaged infrastructure and cultural heritages in the devastating earthquake.

ADB has announced this assistance to Nepal in its 48 Annual Meeting organized in Azerbaijan.

It has already contributed 300 million rupees as the relief assistance to the quake victims.

The meeting has provided minister for Finance, Dr. Ram Sharan Mahat a special time where he put forward the need of the nations at the time of catastrophe.