Bimmaya Kami of Bahrabise Municipality-1 in Sindhupalchok never imagined, until recently, that she would have a house of her own in a safe location after a landslide triggered by the devastating 2015 earthquake destroyed her previous house. She wandered from place to place, carrying some belongings that she managed to salvage during the disaster, in search of a safe location to build a house.

Bimmaya now owns an earthquake resistant house constructed in a safe location at Khursanibari in Bahrabise-3.

“After the earthquake, I never thought I would have a house to live in again. But we now have a house with the support of various people and organisations,” she said. Bimmaya’s family is one of the six Dalit families who have been resettled in an integrated settlement constructed with the support of Oxfam and Janahit Gramin Sewa Samiti. Bahrabise Municipality also allocated Rs 1 million budget for the integrated settlement.

The settlement was formally handed over to the displaced families amidst a function on Sunday.

Naina Bahadur Kami, another beneficiary of the integrated settlement, broke into tears recalling the disaster and their displacement from their previous settlement. “This settlement has been a boon in our life. We never imagined we would have houses to live in again,” he added.

Eighteen families of Khagdal, Sirise, Bikatol and Bhirkuna had been taking shelter in Khursanibari after the April 25 earthquake destroyed their houses.

According to Rajendra Sharma, executive director of the Janahit Gramin Sewa Samiti, the integrated settlement has been constructed for six Dalit families as the 12 other displaced families opted to build houses on their own with the housing reconstruction aid provided by the government. The land required for the integrated settlement was purchased with the budget provided by the National Reconstruction Authority. The reconstruction body had provided Rs 200,000 per family to buy land in a safe location to rebuild their lives.

Bahrabise Municipality, in coordination with various organisations, has been working effectively to provide land for the rehabilitation of the earthquake displaced families. Mayor Nimphunjo Sherpa said that the municipality took initiatives to provide land ownership certificates to the quake-displaced families for the reconstruction of their houses.

“We are working in coordination with various individuals and organisations to rehabilitate the quake-displaced families,” said Sherpa.