National
Ensure safety before rebuilding: Singati folk
Around 200 earthquake affected households in Singati of Dolakha district are reluctant to receive government aid of Rs200,000 for rebuilding new houses.Rajendra Manandhar
Around 200 earthquake affected households in Singati of Dolakha district are reluctant to receive government aid of Rs200,000 for rebuilding new houses.
They have expressed desire to rebuild house only after the government ensures safety of their settlement.
Locals are living under high risk of landslides after the devastating earthquakes of April 25 and May 12, 2015.
Lekh Bahadur Shrestha, a local shopkeeper in Singati, said the area is now prone to landslides.
“We have been compelled to run business to maintain our daily livelihood,” said Shrestha, demanding that the government first plan to control the landslides in Singati.
“Besides distributing money to build a new house, the government should understand people’s problem,” he said.
Locals said the landsides have started on the hillside above the road at Laduk, posing a threat to pedestrians and vehicles moving towards Upper Tamakoshi.
Adviser to the Dolakha Chamber of Commerce and Industry Mahesh Shrestha said the reconstructions would be counterproductive if the government distributes the amount without
minimising the landslide risks in the area.
“The government should first ensure safety of the settlement before distributing the aid amount,” he said.
Experts also warn that Singati bazaar is under threat from a potential Tsho-Rolpa glacial lake outburst flood. The National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) Executive Committee member Chandra Bahadur Shrestha said
they would mobilise experts in Singati to study such threats.
“We will perform reconstruction after a thorough geographical study of Singati,” he said.