The earthquake that shook Nepal and devastated many parts of it has raised many questions that need to be answered properly and honestly if large-scale fatalities are to be avoided in the future. But then the government as well as the media seem to be too preoccupied with the writing of the long overdue constitution to pay undivided attention to post-quake plans and policies and the very urgent task of the rehabilitation of displaced people. Another question that no one seems to be asking is how much resources were wasted due to corruption when the quake hit the country. An earthquake is a natural phenomenon which can hardly be controlled by human beings. However, the destruction and fatalities caused by such natural phenomena could have been and can be reduced in the future if proper attention is paid to the safety of the people.

Bhimsen’s Folly

The Bhimsen Stamba (some call it Bhimsen’s Folly) was the first—but by no means the most important—structure to be reduced to debris by the April quake. Many people who were  inside the landmark on that fateful Saturday died when the structure collapsed. The Dharahara, however, was never meant to be a sightseeing tower for the people. Built in 1832, the century-old Bhimsen Stamba was destroyed by the 1934 earthquake and reconstructed by the then prime minister Juddha Shumsher. And some 81 years later, the 2015 quake turned the once majestic tower into rubble again.

A mere tower without any distinguishing characteristics might not qualify to be on the World Heritage List, but it was a national landmark and should have been treated as such by those who were responsible for its maintenance. But the greed for money propelled those responsible to use the tower as a source of income. The tower that was used by a few officials for official purposes in the past was suddenly opened in 2005 to the public who had to pay a fee to climb to the top. That fee went to the contractor who not only secured the right to operate the Dharahara for sightseers but also seemed to have become the lord of the area around the tower. And in the aftermath of the earthquake, one wonders how much the people who regulated the people’s entry into the tower paid to those who died or were injured as a result of its fall. Surely, the responsibility of the tower operator is not merely to collect entry fees from visitors but also to show a sense of responsibility when disaster befalls.

Apart from the duties and responsibilities of those operating the tower, the main question will remain as to why the tower was opened to the public despite knowing full well that natural disasters could claim precious human lives. The 1934 earthquake was a precedent, but then, no one was there inside the tower when the tremor occurred. Apparently, it was the Kathmandu Municipality that took the decision to open the tower to the public. But was the decision guided merely by the desire to enable people to view the city (at a cost of over Rs 50 each) or was there some ulterior motive involved which has now resulted in the preventable loss of so many lives?

Series of miscalculations

The same city authorities also granted the Employees Provident Fund the permission to construct the building currently known as Kathmandu Mall. This was done in spite of the fact that the Kathmandu Municipality headed by PL Singh had denied permission to construct the building during the Panchayat era. But those who came after Singh deemed it fit to permit the construction of the building. This disregarded the fact that the flow of water at Sundhara had been visibly reduced after the construction of the Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) building in the late 1960s. Many people had opposed the construction of the NAC building even during the Panchayat era.

Kathmandu Mall, of course, completely stopped the flow of water at Sundhara which had been a source of water for the local residents until then. And as Sundhara is a national heritage, it is a pity that those who claim to protect national heritage keep silent when heritage sites are threatened and even destroyed. It would be interesting to find out through official sources like the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority as to who benefited how much by taking such decisions.

Learn your lessons

But then, Sundhara and Dharahara are only a small part of Kathmandu city. There are many tall buildings in the city these days, and most of them do not meet the basic building norms. There is a limit to both the height and number of storeys that can be legally constructed in the city, especially when such buildings are erected on a limited plot of land. But the builders and official inspectors flout all these norms for a price. And once such buildings are constructed, owners pay a fine and everything becomes legal. This is to me is legalised corruption which both the government and local bodies indulge in. There is a need to find a legal remedy to such corruption.  

Natural calamities such as earthquakes cannot be prevented, but a corruption-free administration and corruption-free mentality of the people who govern us can significantly reduce the fatalities by constructing safe structures. The cost of corruption in this country in all areas has been high, and it gives us the dubious distinction of being one of the most corrupt countries in the world. The earthquake should, therefore, serve as a lesson; and if we are wise, we will take it to heart.