Village Youth Repair Homes Damaged by Storm
On April 19, it was reported that a storm on April 19 had damaged the roofs of 38 homes in Palungtar Municipality–9. Local youths have been taking turns repairing the damaged houses, having restored 25 homes so far. The municipality has distributed tarpaulin sheets and will decide on repairing homes with total damage after assessing compensation. Palungtar, Gorkha.
A few days ago, a storm severely damaged homes, which local youths have since been repairing voluntarily, working in shifts. In Palungtar Municipality–9, the storm on April 19 ripped off rooftops of many houses. Local youths say they have been repairing storm-damaged homes through collaborative community efforts without pay.
“The storm tore off roofs of most houses in the village. It also rained heavily, soaking belongings inside,” said Suresh Sunari Magar from Sisneri, Palungtar–9. “The day after the disaster, we formed a group. Those skilled in carpentry handled the woodwork, others repaired the roofs, and those knowledgeable in electrical wiring took care of that. Everyone is contributing according to their expertise to help.”
He added that their voluntary campaign has already repaired over 25 houses. Another local, Bhakt Bahadur Ranamagar, said there are up to three groups working simultaneously. “We assess the damage to each house to decide the number of people needed. If many are required, a bigger group works on it; if fewer, two or three groups handle repairs accordingly. Once a house is fixed, that group moves on to the next one. We work from morning till evening.”
Rana emphasized that everyone in the village is affected by the disaster and they are helping each other. The municipality reported that the storm on the evening of April 19 blew off the roofs of 38 houses in Palungtar Municipality–9. Chief Administrative Officer Sher Bahadur Bisi said 8 houses in Ward No. 8, 10 houses in Ward No. 7, and 13 houses in Ward No. 6 were affected. Roofs of Triveni Secondary School and a health post in Ward No. 9 were also damaged. The municipality has distributed tarpaulin sheets to address immediate needs. “Damage assessments have just been completed. A local disaster management committee meeting will be held soon to decide on repairing houses with total damage,” he added.