Barpak village of Gorka district, the epicentre of the devastating earthquake of April 25, 2015, is preparing to recover from the devastation it suffered. Locals are striving to rebuild the ruined houses and to bring the village in order once again.

There are around 447 households in Barpak which lies 60Km away from the district headquarters. Seventy-two people lost their lives in this village with a population of 8000 people, while around 100 of those injured are still undergoing treatment.

The newly installed white and blue corrugated roofing sheets against the backdrop of the Mt Buddha have added to the beauty of Barpak. One-year after the horrendous disaster, the locals keep themselves busy in the reconstruction work from early in the morning.

Barpak residents braved the winter and rainy season living in temporary shelter. Nearly 300 households are still forced to live under tents and tarpaulin roofs. Though the affluent people of the village have built their houses on their own, the underprivileged lot have lost their hopes of building their houses.

“We used to hear our leaders say that the government would do something. But we are still living in temporary shelter,” said one Min Gurung, who has been living in tent.