Jajarkot earthquake survivors battle monsoon in makeshift shelters

Nandaram Maher’s family of seven has not had a good night’s sleep for the past month or so. They are currently living in a makeshift shelter in Nalgad IV Municipality, Jajarkot district. Their already cramped living conditions have only gotten worse since the onset of the monsoon season – the makeshift hut struggles to withstand even regular rains that last for several hours, Maher says. When it rains, their food grains and clothes get soaked.

Maher’s family moved into the hut after the Nov. 3 earthquake damaged their home. So returning home is not an option, Maher says. “The earthquake weakened the ground around the village, so the fear of landslides keeps us awake at night. Now that it’s raining heavily, we have no choice but to stay awake all night,” he says.

Mahar’s family is not the only one having to face the monsoon with very little resources. The government has identified a total of 48,517 families that need rehabilitation in the wake of the 6.4-magnitude earthquake. As many as 34,954 temporary shelters have been built so far. The rest of the families have had to stay either in flimsy tarpaulins or in old houses damaged by the earthquake.

Jajarkot District Chief Officer Umakant Adhikari said that since June, details of 24,557 families have been included in the disaster management protocol. According to him, after the release of the second tranche of housing reconstruction assistance for construction of temporary huts, the amount will be distributed through the respective district offices.

Similarly, the second installment was disbursed to 16,000 families displaced by the earthquake in Rukum West. Rukum West District Chief Officer Hari Prasad Pant said that Rs 400 million has been sent to the local account as the second installment for construction of temporary shelters. According to him, 32,006 beneficiaries have been registered across the district. He informed that additional budget has been requested from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority to provide funds to the remaining beneficiaries.

Earthquake victims complained that they were severely affected by the monsoon rains. Lal Bahadur Maher of Bheri-1 Municipality said that clothes and food that get wet during the rains have to be taken outside and dried when the sun comes up. According to him, some families in the village risked their lives returning to their cracked houses. “The roof is constantly leaking. It is very difficult to live here,” he said.

Many earthquake victims fell ill in several settlements in the earthquake-affected areas of Jajarkot, Rukum West and Salian. Children, elderly and patients with chronic diseases were the most affected.

“Due to extreme heat and rain, earthquake victims are falling ill quickly,” said Dr. Priya Shahi of the Chidagadh Primary Hospital. According to him, 50 to 100 patients come to the hospital every day for treatment of diarrhea, fever, typhoid and pneumonia. He said that nearly 60 percent of those coming to the hospital are children.

According to data available at Jajarkot District Hospital, around 150 people visit the health facility daily.

Earthquake-displaced people are vulnerable to monsoon-related disasters. At present, most of the earthquake victims have built temporary shelters near forests, river banks, the edges of their farmlands and on steep slopes. “Many families displaced by the earthquake are at risk of floods and landslides,” said Nar Bahadur Nepali, secretary general of the Nepal Red Cross Society in Karnali province. “The earthquake victims faced health problems during the cold winter and hot summer days. Now they are at risk of floods and landslides.”

According to geologist Chandan Giri, there is a high risk of landslides in the quake-affected areas. He said the risk of landslides is about 80 percent higher after an earthquake than in normal situations. After the quake, a team of five technicians led by him surveyed some villages in Nalgad and Bheri municipalities and Barikot Rural Municipality in Jajarkot and found that the land around the various settlements was torn apart. “There is a risk of erosion and major landslides in these cracked areas,” he said, warning of huge loss of life and property.

Locals complained that the authorities concerned were not paying attention to their suffering. However, Rabilal Sharma, Secretary of Home Affairs and Law Department of Karnali Province, said that they have started preparations after studying the landslide risks in the earthquake-affected settlements. According to him, all security mechanisms have been put in place to minimize the potential risks.

16 families displaced due to landslide risk

With the threat of landslides increasing, 16 families have been displaced from Chaupani village in Bheri-1 municipality. The zonal office has shifted 11 families to a nearby school, four families have moved to India while one family has taken shelter at a relative’s house, according to Deepak Rana, district chief of Bheri-1.

The district administration claims to have taken necessary steps to protect the quake-displaced people from water-related disasters. Adhikari, the chief development officer of Jajarkot, said a police team led by the assistant inspector of Nepal Police has been mobilized to identify vulnerable families. “The vulnerable families are being traced and shifted to safer places in due course,” he added.

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos