Keshav Adhikari Dhading,

 The victims of April 25 earthquake and its subsequent aftershocks, who have been living out in the open, are facing additional problems due to rain and hailstorm in Dhading. After a strong wind blew away makeshift tents, Dhading locals have nowhere to live. The wind was followed by rain and hailstorm that began from 1:00 pm today and lasted an hour. The locals of the district headquarters Dhandingbesi were busy arranging tents after the rain. It is said that the temporary huts were also swept away by the strong winds. Krishna Prasad Pandit, a local of Dhunwakot VDC, said the rain complicated the problems. “The temporary tents were all destroyed by rain and it’s muddy everywhere. This has made it difficult for us to survive,” he said.He added that they could not enter the houses due to the fear of quake and living in the open has become difficult after thunderstorms. Another victim Dal Bahadur Tamang, who has been living in a temporary tent at Rayatar, lamented that they have been facing tough time protecting their children and the elderly. “I cannot bear to look at the direction where my house was located as it got destroyed in the disaster,” he said. Local house owners as well as tenants have been living in makeshift tents in open spaces after the devastating earthquake of April 25 and its frequent aftershocks destroyed almost all the houses in the district headquarters. As many as 70,000 households have been affected in Dhading. Meanwhile, lawmaker Guru Prasad Burlakoti of Constituency No 2 Dhading, said resettlement of victims should be done before the onset of rainy season.

-THT ONLINE