A year ago, the most devastating earthquake in recent Nepali history gave a tragic blow to the nation. The earthquake claimed many lives, left thousands injured, razed villages, cities, infrastructure and a number of cultural and historical sites.

Above all, the earthquake damaged five out of our seven UNESCO World heritage sites. The damage to heritage sites like the three Durbar squares, the Swayambhunath Stupa, the Changunarayan Temple—that has stood tall since the third century, and our iconic landmark Dharahara caused heartache to all Nepalis. The most critical thing for now is to gain what we lost a year ago. The Government must be conscious of the fact that much of our heritage has been damaged in the massive earthquake and it is imperative that we rebuild.

Amid the despair and heartbreaking tragedy, it was the courage and bravery of the Nepali people that allowed us to get through such a harsh time with unfaltering resilience. Even our history marks our strength and bravery as we have never learned to lose any battles or wars. The Nepali people are an example of how people can remain optimistic even when faced with colossal adversity. For this, I salute the great spirit and determination of all Nepalis.

From the day of the Great earthquake, the relationship between people changed and that’s something that happened for the good. People stayed out in open spaces and by roadsides for days. The time of hardship while spending their days outside brought the people in every locality closer and allowed them to bond in the middle of great adversity that they were facing. At the time, the Nepalis helped each other and looked out for safety of not only themselves, but also their neighbours and even strangers. I believe that such experiences led us to realise the value of being compassionate towards somebody other than ourselves. 

A value that we continue to carry a year after the devastating quakes.

There is a tremendous lesson to be learnt from the Great Earthquake. The most crucial part is the construction of buildings. The government needs to look into the haphazard construction of buildings and infrastructures. Large scale infrastructures should not be built without proper geological and geotechnical investigation. Even the local people should cooperate and participate while maintaining a consciousness for their community and its future. If such things are adhered, we can possibly minimise the loss we may be faced with in the advent of another similar disaster. There is a trend among small landowners to build houses attached to their neighbour’s house. This practice should be absolutely outlawed as it is a great risk for everybody during earthquakes. 

To this day, the earthquake still haunts the life of Nepalis. From the Great earthquake till now, nearly 500 aftershocks have hit Nepal with a magnitude ranging from 4-5 on the Richter scale. Many places in the world are prone to earthquake. There are headlines about earthquakes that recently hit many countries such as Ecuador, Japan etc. Thus, it is evident that it is still a necessity for us to be cautious. 

A year after the Barpak earthquake it is crucial that we learn the lessons that 2072 BS taught us. The next time we might not be so lucky. Living in a place like Nepal, that sits right above one of the most active fault-lines in the world, we need to remain forever vigilant for the ‘next one’, which might come rattling our doors at anytime. Just prayers won’t help though, we need to learn our lessons and start preparing so that the next big earthquake does not create such a widespread havoc like the Barpak earthquake.

So, stay safe and let’s be hopeful of not getting any further trouble from natural calamities.

Shah is a Grade 11 student at Prasadi Academy