Twenty-four families in Nuwakot district have purchased land in a safe location, marking the beginning of the resettlement process. The National Reconstruction Authority (NRA), an agency mandated to carry out the reconstruction drive, has provided Rs200,000 to an individual household for the purpose.

As many as 71 families at Urleni, Nuwakot have been living in the areas are considered highly susceptible to landslide risks, according to a recent study conducted by the authority. 

Dhurba Prasad Sharma, NRA executive committee member, said 24 households had purchased eight ropanis of land in Tadi Rural Municipality for resettlement. The authority had disbursed Rs4.8 million to the survivors of the 2015 Gorkha Earthquake for acquiring land in safe zone.

On top of the amount for relocation purpose, the authority will provide Rs300,000 to each household for the construction of individual home. “These households will shortly begin the process of developing an integrated settlement. For promoting such settlements, the government will build several infrastructure which will benefit the society,” Sharma said. As per the government decision, each integrated settlement will have proper roads, drinking water, electricity, public toilet, health post, community building and schools, among other facilities. 

As per the guidelines prepared for the development of integrated settlement, people in the Himalayan region will get Rs500,000, those in the Hills and the Tarai will get Rs400,000 and Rs300,000 respectively for the construction of quake-resilient homes, if at least 10 households agree to relocate to a safe location. People who wish to move or are eligible to move to the integrated settlement will have to transfer ownership of land that lies in the vulnerable zone to the government. That will ensure no human settlements are built there in future. 

A meeting of the NRA Advisory Committee, chaired by Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, had decided in July to extend all possible help to people living in vulnerable zones relocate. The decision followed a government move in May to form committees under chief district officers in the quake-affected districts to evacuate the vulnerable settlements to new locations. 

The NRA has identified 112 settlements, including Keraunja of Gorkha, Khalde of Rasuwa, Urleni of Nuwakot, Besimpa of Dolakha and Selang of Sindhupalchok district as the vulnerable zones.