The earthquake-affected families living in Trusulachan Tol, Dolakha are struggling to repay loans they had taken out for rebuilding their homes destroyed in the 2015 disaster. 

Eighteen affected families at Trishulachan Tol, who had already constructed their houses, are worried over repaying loans following the government delay in distributing the final instalment of the housing reconstruction aid. 

“I have started building a house in a hope that the government will provide second and third instalments on time. I borrowed Rs150,000 from a local cooperative for the purpose and still paying the interest,” said Jyoti Thami, a local woman. 

The families have received Rs 50,000 as first instalment of the housing aid. 

According to the District Level Project Implementation Unit of the National Reconstruction Authority (NRA), around 15,000 new houses have been constructed in the district. Only 1,500 families have received the third instalment of the aid, whereas around 13,000 families are still waiting for a second tranche.

These days, quake victims visit Charikot, the district headquarters of Dolakha, on a daily basis for aid amount, only to return empty-handed. 

Officials lament the aid distribution has been delayed due to the local level elections and works related to the end-of-the fiscal year financial closings. 

Sagar Acharya, chief of the Dolakha NRA, accepted that quake victims are facing difficulties as the government could not distribute housing aid on time. “The aid could be distributed only after being approved by local units, Urban Development and Building Construction Office and the District Level Project Implementation Unit of the NRA. Then only, the District Comptroller’s Office will send cheques to the concerned banks,” said Achayra. 

Meanwhile, quake victims of Singati, who received the first instalment of housing aid at the beginning of the housing aid distribution, could not receive further aid after the NRA stopped the aid distribution, saying that the area is still at risk. 

Only 701 houses built in Rasuwa

Only 701 houses have been completed in 29 months since the devastating Gorkha Earthquake, according to the District Level Project Implementation Unit of the NRA in Rasuwa district.

The NRA data shows there are 11,629 quake-affected households in the district.The NRA has so far signed housing aid agreement with 10,700 victims.

The district-based NRA office said that they could not sign agreement with the victims of Lantang and Haku as the settlements are in landslide-prone areas.

The aid distribution has also been affected as a number of quake-hit families do not have land ownership certificate, officials said. 

First tranche of aid spent on house repair: Quake victims

A majority of earthquake-affected families in Dhading said that they had spent Rs50,000—the first instalment of the housing reconstruction aid—on house repair.

They said they are living in the repaired houses these days.

Local Development Officer Jiblal Bhusal said many quake affected families could not demand for a second instalment of the aid as they did not build the house according to the government standards.

According to the Urban Development Office, none of 70,570 quake-affected families has received third instalment in the district.

(With inputs from our local correspondents)