Villagers have started rebuilding earthquake ravaged Langtang Valley in Rasuwa district on their own initiatives. 

People are constructing new houses at Bamboo, Lamahotel, Riverside, Ghodatabela and Thangsyap areas. 

Lhakpa Jangwa, secretary of the Langtang Reonstruction Committee, said they have already built 25 quake resilient houses in the last five months. “We have taken initiative to reconstruct Langtang to develop the area and reinstate it as a major tourist destination,” said Jangwa. 

While mules are predominantly used to transport construction materials in Langtang from Syaphrubeshi, some of the items are also airlifted by helicopters. 

Nirup Chhiring Tamang, a committee member, said masons and carpenters from Sindhuli, Okhaldhunga and Solukhumbu have been involved in reconstruction works. “Langtang will bounce back as a tourist destination within a year,” claimed Tamang.   

Villagers expressed their disappointment at government’s apathy towards reconstruction works in the region. Quake survivors in Langtang who lost their homes to last year’s devastating tremor have not received first tranche of housing aid amounting to Rs50,000 though the National Reconstruction Authority had signed the aid agreement with victims. Amid rapid reconstruction works, officials have expressed concerns that people are building structures within 100 metres of the landslide prone area. 

Local Development Officer Rajendra Dev Pandey said a team of geologists had advised the district based government bodies to shift the residential areas of Langtang to safer locations. 

“We are going to find an alternative to resettle them. The NRA has directed us not to distribute the aid to the villagers before resolving the issue” said Pandey. 

Langtang was engulfed by a massive avalanche triggered by the devastating quake last year. A total of 235 people, including foreigners, were killed in the tragedy. The popular trekking hub in the district was badly affected by the quake, with the number of visitors falling to around 10 persons a day from more than 50 before the quake.