EARTHQUAKE 2015 - THE UNEXPECTED HEART SEVERING EXPERIENCE OF NEPAL.

25th April 2015, the black day in the history of Nepal. Nepal suffered from the tragedy that it hadn’t expected. The earthquake claimed lives of nearly 9000 innocent people and injured nearly 22000. Having magnitude of 7.8 Richter scale, the earthquake centred east of Gorkha district of Nepal. At 11:56 AM NST, Nepalese were compelled to run from their homes to the open space. It was the most destructive earthquake after 1990 AD which was also named Nepal-Bihar earthquake. The earthquake made 3.5 million Nepalese people homeless in a single strike. The whole country ran into evacuation.

“It is not light that we need, but fire; it is not the gentle shower, but thunder. We need the storm, the whirlwind, and the earthquake. “
-Frederick Douglass

Triggering series of avalanches on Mt. Everest, the quake took 21 lives and made 250 missing. Centuries-old buildings and monuments which were listed in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites were destroyed including Kathmandu Durbar Square, the Patan Durbar Square, and Boudhanath stupa and so on. Nepal also went through series of aftershocks after the major earthquake. Tremors were felt in the neighbouring Indian states of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, West Bengal, Sikkim, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand, Gujarat, in the National capital region around New Delhi and as far south as Karnataka.

According to the USGS, the earthquake was caused by a sudden thrust, or release of built-up stress, along the major fault line where the Indian Plate, carrying India, is slowly diving underneath the Eurasian Plate, carrying much of Europe and Asia. Kathmandu, situated on a block of crust approximately 120 km (74 miles) wide and 60 km (37 miles) long, reportedly shifted 3 m (10 ft.) to the south in a matter of just 30 seconds.

All the Nepalese people were compelled to sustain their lives in the tent in the open space having foods like noodles, water, biscuits, etc. No one could imagine how we sustained our lives in that tragedy. Although the neighbouring countries exerted their full effort to rescue Nepalese people, it wasn’t enough. Food and other needy accessories weren’t sufficient for the homeless people. In the meantime, the whole country’s health was at risk. The soldiers and rescue officers were mobilized to the most infected areas.
Despite the billions pledged, the majority of Nepalis affected by the earthquake still don't have proper housing and provision of food. According to the National Reconstruction Authority, two years after series of quakes shook Nepal, barely 5 % of the destroyed families have been rebuilt. That 800,000 families still do not have their houses rebuilt is simply a disaster. The reconstruction program of the government have been slow to pay out promised responsibilities. Progress has been painfully slow for families who have now spent two winters without proper shelter. Many live in makeshift huts and bamboo tents.

Talking about the personal experience, it was the worst day in my entire life. I simply don’t want to remember that tragedy that my family went through. I don’t know whether it will happen or not in the future. I only hope that I don’t have to go through it again.

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Love,
Saurab Shah