We and Earthquake

Rajesh Sharma

Every new situation brings new challenges and new opportunities. The devastating Gorkha Earthquake 2015 also has brought major challenges and opportunities.
1. We have, now, some major challenges that include providing relief and temporary accommodation to a few millions of people. Hence, we need food, water, clothes, medicines and tents as well as materials to construct temporary shelters. This is our immediate challenge.
2. Counseling, consoling and providing emotional support is another area of immediate challenge. The trauma of loosing someone near and dear, being hurt and fearful need care and psychological comfort.
3. Bringing normalcy back including running regular support services, institutions, offices, factories and businesses as soon as possible is another challenge.
4. Agriculture should get special priority and maximum support as that is the life line of our rural economy.
5. Rebuilding infrastructure - private, corporate, collective and public is our strategically important challenge. In this process, we should reconstruct our infrastructures taking into consideration our seismic vulnerability.
6. We are a bit in position of strength as our airports, road networks; telecom infrastructure and hydro power projects are generally okay and are functional. The focus now is on rebuilding buildings and repair of vital infrastructures if there are any damages.
7. Our damaged buildings are mostly in rural areas and private buildings. There is still community culture exists and rebuilding could generate some community process and would be done with less corruption and corrupt practices. If resources in the form of cash as mix of grant and loan is provided and programs like food for work in massive scale, that would address both food and resource needs.
8. The massive reconstruction activities would generate millions of jobs in construction, development, socio-economic and psychological rehabilitation and the purchasing power of the working class people may go up.
9. The massive inflow of government, donors' and private resources would create momentum in our economy that will take the nation from emergency to uplitment in a shortest possible time.
10. Now, the government must allocate all surplus budget of this financial year in the "Earthquake Reconstruction Fund" and also allocate significant part of next five year budget. Bilateral as well as multilateral resources also should be mobilized in billions of dollars by packaging new products and services and marketing them, rather than just crying for funds.
11. Controlling corruption ruthlessly by people and state is need of the hour. Taking direct action by people at the field itself against corrupt persons including politicians, bureaucrats and so-called local leaders/NGOwalas could also come into action.
WE COULD AND SHOULD BUILD OUR NATION. Let's unite and channel our energy, time and resources to rebuild our villages, towns and cities.