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By Our Reporter

Here is the best example to show how slow the republic government is to act to address the woes of people affected by natural disasters.

It has been 15 months since an earthquake struck Rukum West and Jajarkot on November 3, 2023. The earthquake claimed the lives of 154 people in the two districts.

Only now, nearly 15 months after the earthquake, a detailed assessment of the physical damage caused by the disaster has begun in Jajarkot and Rukum West districts.

According to the District Disaster Management Committee, as reported by the local media, the first phase of assessment has started in Bheri Municipality Ward Nos. 1, 3, 4, 8 and 11, as well as in Nalgaad Municipality Ward Nos. 1, 3 and 4.

Engineers from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA), local organisations and municipalities have been deployed to assess the damage.

So far, 34,000 temporary shelters have been built in Jajarkot, 32,000 in Rukum West and 1,300 in Salyan.

Earthquake survivor Purna Bahadur Rawat from Bheri Municipality-1 said that although the reconstruction process has been slow, the government’s decision to deploy technical experts to assess houses has renewed their hope of securing permanent housing.

According to the District Disaster Management Committee, a total of 40,041 households have been identified as beneficiaries in Jajarkot.