Jajarkot quake-hit settlements still await reconstruction

By Raju Lamichhane,Rukum West, (Musikot), Nov. 4: Two years have passed since the devastating 6.4 magnitude earthquake struck Jajarkot with its epicenter in Ramidanda. The disaster claimed 153 lives and displaced around 75,000 families. 

Many houses, schools, health posts, as well as sites of historical, cultural, religious and archaeological significance, were reduced to rubble.

Even two years after the quake, the affected settlements remain in ruins. Most residents are still living in cracked houses or temporary makeshifts, anxiously waiting for reconstruction to begin. Bir Bahadur Giri, Chairperson of Barekot Rural Municipality in Jajarkot, said that the settlements have yet to rise again.

“They neither get warmth in the cold nor shade in the heat. The earthquake victims are living in miserable conditions,” he said; adding that the weakened villages are deteriorating further as the wait for safe housing continues.

Ravi KC, Mayor of Aathbiskot Municipality in Rukum West, explained that the quake-stricken communities have suffered more this year due to floods and landslides. “After the earthquake destroyed their homes, people somehow built makeshift huts, but then landslides washed away those shelters and their farmlands,” he said. “Neither personal housing has been rebuilt safely, nor have health and education facilities been restored.” According to him, the villages remain vulnerable to recurring natural disasters.

Families rendered homeless by the quake continue to endure harsh winters under tarpaulin sheets and scorching summers beneath corrugated iron roofs. Reconstruction has yet to start in many affected areas. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) under the Ministry of Home Affairs has not yet completed the detailed damage assessment, and even the existing assessment has left many victims dissatisfied.

Ramesh Malla, a resident of Aathbiskot Municipality-14, complained that the damage report and data were collected inaccurately. “Those who already had concrete houses in town or other properties in the village were included in the reconstruction list, while genuinely homeless families were left out,” he said.

Quake survivors continue to grapple with the trauma of losing their loved ones, livestock, and homes. As seasonal hardships worsen, ensuring the safety of residents living in precarious conditions has become increasingly challenging. Pushpa Badi, Mayor of Chaurjahari Municipality, said that people share a deep emotional bond with their homes, and without rebuilding safe housing, it is difficult for victims to regain a sense of normalcy. “They are still waiting for reconstruction,” he remarked.