Ram Krishna Sharma
Communication Officer
NSET-Baliyo Ghar Program
As it was quite
comfortable and he could see surroundings easily, Mr. Ram Prasad Naharki, a
resident of Nalang Dhading, always preferred to sleep in the balcony of his
house. According to Mr. Naharki, verandah (balcony) in the first floor of his
house was like an air-conditioned room where he has spent every night of more
than 20 years. After the Gorkha Earthquake that hit in April 25, 2015, Mr.
Naharki was numbed at
all. He didn't lost his house as others did, though it was not damaged
completely but one could see minor cracks which forced Naharki family to stay
outside the house. From that day, Mr. Naharki went on missing the verandah
vehemently every night. As he asserts, he lost his sound sleep by then. After
the 4 years of Gorkha Earthquake, with pleasant mood he has got back to the
same verandah in the same bed and same pillow for what he calls the sound
sleep.
Mr.
Naharki, dweller of Siddhalekh Rural Municipality-02, Naharki Gaoun, Nalang
Dhading is a local teacher. He and his wife Mrs. Parbati Naharki have struggled
a lot to feed, nurture and bring up 6 daughters and one son. Mrs. Naharki has
unconditionally supported Mr. Naharki for 35 years more. The house with beautiful
verandah and attic was their sacred temple where not only their physical body
but soul too resides. Their only shelter was partially damaged by Gorkha
Earthquake. Since then to June 2019, Naharki family got distressed to be in a
temporary shelter where they cooked, kept all their household stuffs and slept
in the one and only room. Soon after the earthquake, the engineers deployed to
assess the structural damage advised Naharki family to retrofit their house and
enlisted them in the retrofit beneficiaries. But Mr. Naharki was reluctant to
retrofit his house as he believed stone masonry buildings could not be
retrofitted. He thought to increase the savings to build a RCC structured house
for which he had to wait for some years. His family members too were reluctant
to retrofit the partial damaged house. Later when the villagers urged him and
government provision to get retrofit beneficiaries transformed in
reconstruction full beneficiaries was enforced, Mr. Naharki thought to do so. "In
fact I was about to transform myself to the reconstruction beneficiary where I
could receive the grant amount worth 3 hundred thousand rupees but I knew I had
to add 5 hundred thousand more to get just two-roomed house. I was in deep
dilemma", Mr. Naharki said.
Mindset changed to save
the traditional architecture
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Actually,
Mr. Naharki was in great impasse, whether to get transformed in reconstruction
beneficiary, demolish the house and build a new one or to retrofit it. In the
meantime, Baliyo Ghar Program was implementing retrofit in Dhading including
Nalang, village of Mr. Naharki with the aim to produce skilled manpower so that
they could contribute in retrofitting the partial damaged houses. During the
course, mobile team of NSET-Baliyo Ghar visited Naharki family twice to make
aware and request them to retrofit the house. Indeed, retrofit had two tangible
benefits for Naharki family, one they could save the traditional architecture
and the other the requirements of family could be best served by their old
house. If they were to rebuild a new one, probably it won't best fit them as their
family was too big. Mr. Naharki participated the orientation of Baliyo Ghar program
twice and discussed with engineer and social mobilizer in series. "I was
keenly gathering knowledge about retrofit technology and was eager to know
about the cost and time to retrofit my house which later was provided by Baliyo
Ghar team. And then I went changing my mindset," Mr. Naharki informed.
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| Mr. Ram Prasad Naharki and his wife Mrs. Parbati Naharki infront of their retrofitted house |
"Retrofit
beneficiaries like Mr. Naharki are reluctant to retrofit their stone masonry
buildings only because they are completely unaware about the technology primarily
the cost to retrofit," Mr. Hariram Pathak, Dhading District Coordinator to
Baliyo Ghar program said, "It took 2 weeks to convince Mr. Naharki family. Basically the eldest
daughter of Naharki family played a vital role in deciding to start retrofit in
their house."
Baliyo Ghar Program is
conducting retrofit trainings in 3 districts; Dolakha, Dhading and Nuwakot, the
program districts. "Baliyo Ghar bears the cost of masons and provides
nominal in-kind support to implement retrofit as part of program. But the aim
is to develop a model house in village and produce skilled human force,"
Mr. Ranjan Dhungel, Program Manager to Baliyo Ghar says, "It's a capacity
enhancement training of the program where we conduct 25 days training in a way
the selected house also gets retrofitted and at least 6 masons get their
knowledge and skills enhanced."
Mrs. Naharki says in
the initial days of retrofit she was saddened to see the house being hammered
and plasters being uncovered as she thought the house would lose its strength, structure
and identity. "But when it reached 25 days of training, I could see the
house being more attractive and safe for sure than before," she said. The
neighbors too were suspecting about the retrofit technology and keenly watching
its implementation in Naharki's family. According to Mrs. Naharki, at least 2/3
persons used to visit the house every day to see the development and masons
working, in fact they were building self-confidence on them.
Retrofit in Naharki's
house began in April 2019 and ended up within 25 days. And spending 20 days
more, Naharki family completed the house doing aesthetic works and other
arrangements to get in ready to use. During the course, Mr. Naharki and his
wife worked together with the 6 masons helping them arranging necessary
equipment, supplying water and other stuffs and of course preparing them
'Khaja', the day tiffin. With a long breath as if they have completed a tough
task, Naharki family entered the house organizing a ritual function
"Puja" in first week of June 2019. "The house now looks
attractive than before, by doing retrofit we not only have increased the
seismic strength of the house but also saved the traditional structure and
appearance. The rooms are surplus for our family," Mrs. Naharki said.
"Negligible
economic burden"
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| Ward Chair, Mr. Kamal Bdr. Gurung |
Baliyo Ghar program had
frequently coordinated with Mr. Kamal Bahadur Gurung, Ward Chair of Sidhalekh
Rural Municipality-02 to implement retrofit in Nalang along with other
representatives. Mr. Gurung is also one of the earthquake beneficiaries who has
rebuilt his house with the expense of 13 hundred thousand. "Had my house
been partially damaged, I would have now retrofitted it. I came to know that
retrofitted house not only increases the seismic strength but also its cost
effective too. I spent 13 lakhs more to rebuild a two-roomed house, but as far
as I know, Naharki's two-storey house has been retrofitted within 5 lakhs. I
urge all the retrofit beneficiaries to retrofit their house," Mr. Gurung
said.
Mr. Naharki now a
retrofit promoter in Nalang
Retrofitted house of
Naharki family is now a model house in Nalang. Mr. Naharki proclaims himself a
lucky man. When he began retrofitting his house, more than 100 people have
already visited his house, talked with him and enquired about the technology.
Mr. Sushil Gyewali, Chief Executive Officer of National Reconstruction
Authority (NRA) along with other policy makers and district authorities also
visited his house and interacted with him. "I never imagined of such flow
of high official's visit to my house, retrofit was the cause, I am lucky
enough," he shared with amusing smile.
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| Mr. Sushil Gyewali, CEO of NRA handing over the retrofitted house to Naharki family |
As
he has served his society being a teacher for a long, Mr. Naharki is also a
social influential person. After completing the retrofit in his house, he
started promoting retrofit for seismic safety of his village. There are 18
houses to be retrofitted in Naharki Gaoun solely. As part of the Baliyo Ghar's
training, 3 houses have been retrofitted in the village. The 18 skilled masons
produced through those 3 trainings are expected to contribute in retrofit the
rest houses and in other houses in Nalang. Now Mr. Naharki goes to every
retrofit beneficiary to share his experience and encourage them to retrofit
house for their family's sake. "Government provides grant amount worth Rs.
3 lakhs to the reconstruction beneficiaries and Rs. 1 lakh for retrofit
beneficiaries. I have heard some retrofit beneficiaries are lobbying to get
transformed in reconstruction beneficiary, I think it's due to the lack of
knowledge about the benefits of retrofit. I personally have been sharing the
benefits of doing retrofit. It's not only the case of Naharki Village,
beneficiaries all around the quake hit districts should implement retrofit in
case their houses have been partially damaged or not damaged at all," Mr.
Naharki stressed.
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| Montage of Naharki House (Before, during and after Retrofit) |
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