Report on Post Disaster Need Assessment

Report on Post Disaster Need Assessment

(Halde Kalika Village Development Committee Nuwakot District, Nepal)

1)Prithvi Lal Shrestha (Senior Divisional Geologist/ Department of                                                 Mines & Geology)

2)Narayan Prasad Dahal (Account Officer / City Development 

                                                     Office)

 3)Khem Raj Bhatta  (Amin / Survey Office)

1. BACK GROUND

After the great earthquake of 7.6 Ml (NSC/DMG) which rocked central Nepal with casualties more than eight thousand on 25 April 2015, our team of three members was appointed in my leadership for Post Disaster Need Assessment in Halde Kalika Village Development Committee of Nuwakot District. The team was appointed for one month from Government side. Final report is submitted to the District Disaster Relief Committee, Bidur.

2. OBJECTIVES

i) Take or help to take immediate relief action after gathering information on earthquake victims.

ii) Help to make Integrated Resettlement Plan for earthquake victims if needed.

iii) Help to reuse or reconstruct public structures after collecting data of damage from an earthquake.

iv) Help to reuse or reconstruct all physical structures after accomplishing Post Disaster Need Assessment.

3. METHODOLOGY

Our team members filled up data of damage in two formatted forms; one is “Basic Information on Damage of Individual Households” with direct interaction (face to face) with the house owner individually from about 1000 houses of all nine wards. And second, public structures like, schools/hospitals/Government offices/industries and college etc., was filled up in “Damage of Government/Public Structures” form with direct interaction with the local Government officials and local people.

Instruction was given to the people that whether they can stay or not in particular house/structure after inspecting damage condition.

4. FINDINGS ON THE SITE

The pictures of the villages are horrible and heart touching. Almost all houses are made of adobe type with mud and stone having weak holding capacity, which are totally damage. Even with some houses, seem to be fine from outside is damage from inside, where people can’t live. 25 people were dead and more than 100 injured found in this VDC.

5. PROBLEMS

Major problem with people in the site is totally damage houses and improper shelters to live. Some people have not received tents yet. They build temporary but poor shelters by using the materials from their damage houses. The cash money 7000 Nepalese rupees from the Government side is not completely distributed yet. Relief materials and food didn’t go to all people up to now. News of loot and vandalize is coming from some places. Cunning and clever people got relief materials many times, which indicates lack of monitoring and security from the Government side. Almost all schools are damage so students have problem to get education timely. In some places water sources dried up so people are facing with water problem. There will be major problem of landslides in the area where fractures are made due to earthquake, in near future since monsoon (rainy season) is ahead. This may cause more disaster.

Beside these, strong psychological effects have been seen mostly in children, women and old people.

6. POSSIBLE SOLUTION

Immediate solution for villagers is to manage temporary shelters or houses before monsoon starts. Relief distribution should be equal and as early as possible under Government supervision. Psychologists and doctors should be appointed to take care of the people affected from mental problem. To start classes in school, temporary shelter should be built, students should be taught with enjoyment environment and recreational way like, singing/dancing/playing for few weeks so that the negative effects due to an earthquake would be gone. The experts should be appointed in villages to interact and teach people that an earthquake is a natural phenomenon, which is neither stoppable nor predictable, but we can lessen the aftermath of it. This can bring people down of trauma from earthquake and live normal lives. Yes, people now are aware of making earthquake resistance houses but local government should also be strict in implementing building code and monitor regularly.

7. RESETTLEMENT PLAN

Resettlement or united habitat is not possible in this VDC due to geological inhomogeneity of this area. Almost all villages in this VDC are situated in hilly land and it has lack of open land. Cultivation practices are in hilly terrain. Every individual has their own house and land for cultivation so they are not interested to move to other place. Government or public land is forest, which is also situated in hilly land. These are the reasons why resettlement of the village is impossible in this VDC.

8. SUMMARY

This Halde Kalika VDC which is about 15 Km east from Bidur, a district headquarter of Nuwakot, is facilitate with transportation, electricity and communication but remote due to its geological condition. Rich in hilly and inhomogeneity terrain, this VDC has the houses mostly made up of mud and stone, which are vulnerable to earthquake, the result we already saw after the great earthquake. Main cultivation of this area is paddy, wheat, corn and ginger.

While collecting a data we didn’t face any problems. We achieved a goal in time due to help of local people and social workers. And, the guidance and viability of official materials from center time to time made our work easier. Our team wants to thank all the concerned people for this national task for their help and support.

 

9. PHOTOS