Nepal’s horrific earthquake passed exactly 10 years, now how are the situation- how much preparation on the ground?

The fierce earthquake in Nepal has passed exactly a decade, but the damage that happened at that time is still visible in Ram Bahadur Nakrami’s house. There is still fear in his mind that another earthquake may occur.

Ten years ago, on 25 April 2015, the land below Nepal was trembled by a 7.8 magnitude earthquake, killing about 9,000 people, more than 22,000 injured and millions of people were homeless. The disaster also converted monuments including centuries -old temples and royal palaces in the Kathmandu Valley to ruins, which attracted tourists from all over the world.

In the historic Bhaktapur city of Nepal, the four -storey house of Nakarmi was damaged. But due to the crisis of money, it is not possible for them to get renovation even after 10 years. 61 -year -old Narmi lives in his house despite cracks. Nakarmi told AFP, “Still, it’s still scary .. We are still feeling jerk and they are scaring us – we run out of the house”.

Nakarmi’s four -storey house was damaged in 2015 earthquake

According to official data, about 90 percent of the houses destroyed along with thousands of schools, hospitals and public buildings have been repaired. Temples and cultural sites are also gradually stood again.

Nepal’s National Society for Earthquake Technology and International Global Quake Model have jointly evaluated the affected districts. It was found that in the event of another earthquake, Nepal would be in better condition than before. They estimate that after Nepal’s re-building and retrofitting campaign, the number of buildings at a thorough collapse has decreased by 44 percent.

Dinesh Prasad Bhatt, head of Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA), told AFP, “Our early years were focused on re-beding. Now our focus should be on areas that were not affected in 2015 but there is a danger of earthquake .. We have to increase the access to all parts of the country.”

‘Inadequate progress has been made’

This disaster was a danger bell for a country which is located on a dangerous geological faultline. Below this, the Indian tectonic plate collides with the Eurasian plate and forms the Himalayas. According to the United Nations, Nepal is ranked 11th in terms of danger of earthquake. Experts ask whether the country is ready for the next such earthquake. In the later decade after the earthquake, Nepal has taken important steps. The NDRRMA Disaster Reduction and Management Authority was established, and the building code was updated to reflect seismic safety standards.

Unlike 2015, there are locally elected members who are responsible for raising reserves of rescue teams, volunteers and emergency resources in an disaster. Anil Pokharel, former NDRRMA chief Anil Pokharel said, “If you really see the overall picture, we have progressed extensively compared to 2015 and now .. But still, it is insufficient in view of the rising risks.”

Surya Narayan Shrestha of the National Society for Earthquake Technology said, “Nepal has made many policies learning from the 2015 earthquake experience, but the policies are only pieces of paper that direct the system .. To make the system effective, we need people and systems that have the ability.”

‘Dangerous is less preparation’

David Sislane, head of World Bank Nepal, said that despite better policies and institutional structures, the country is “dangerously less ready for a large disaster”. Sislane said, “With the reduction in risk and mitigation measures, the vulnerability will increase, which will threaten people, services and assets.”

He said that “a phased strategy was required” to record schools, hospitals and other important infrastructure “.

In 2015, Shri Krishna Chustibada lost three members of his family under the debris of the house.

Chosybada said, “This was a black day for us. That day took away all our happiness .. I hope that we will never see such destruction again.”

(This news has not been edited by the NDTV team. It has been published directly from the syndicate feed.)