Feature: Quake-hit Sankhu locals combing rubble to get back to normal life

As Tuesday marked the 11th day since the earthquake that devastated the small Himalayan nation of Nepal, the locals of Sankhu, a small northwestern village in Kathmandu, have gathered enough courage to return to their collapsed houses and search for their belongings.

More than 100 people have been killed in Sankhu, some 20 kilometer away from the capital with almost all the old buildings having collapsed.

People who are living in tent in fields for the last 10 days have returned to a devastated village in hope to find any of their household items or important documents from the debris and rubbles to begin their lives again.

Thirty-five-year old Krishna Nath Shrestha, a local of Salkha tole of Sankhu was among the ones who were trying to clear the rubbles of his four-floor house collapsed in the quake.

"We have been wearing the same clothes for the last 10 days. All our clothes, food stock, furniture and everything have been buried, so I am trying to get back whatever possible for a new beginning," Krishna told Xinhua.

The structure of his home that lies in the center of a main shopping street of Sankhu cannot be identified as the area is filled with bricks, mud and wood now.

The situation is the same with hundreds of other houses in the locality. The street is 10 feet high with debris from the quake, comprising furniture, clothes, utensils and many more things.

According to the latest data from the Home Ministry, 191,058 houses have been completely destroyed in the quake whereas 175,162 houses have been partially damaged.

Sushil Basi, a local shopkeeper, was also seen trying to dig a hole in the rubbles to enter the ground floor of his 60-year-old- building where his shop was located.

"All my income comes from this shop and there is no more today. We will not get free food every day, so I need to bring back the shop items and start the business again in a new place to take care of my family," Sushil told Xinhua.

He had kitchen and stationary items and cooking gas cylinders worth Rs one million (about 9,848 U.S. dollars) in the shop.

At present, locals have been living in tents in the open spaces and feeding themselves with food distributed by social organizations.

The Nepal Army and Police personnel are also in the area helping the locals to search and bring back their belongings from destroyed houses.

Ninety percent of the villagers belong to Newar community, who are dependent upon agriculture, especially potatoes and wheat. These locals, who have no basic essentials left owing to the disaster, tied all their hope and expectation on the government now.

Rupkeshari Shrestha, an elderly man, told Xinhua, "My generation-old building is only in my memories now. My sons don't have money to build it again. We are just waiting for the support from the government."

Last week, the government had decided to compensate 1,000 U.S. dollars to each family who lost their house. But, it is not known when could that sum be distributed.

In such a situation, these locals, who lost everything in the disaster, are eager to start a new life again, but are still waiting for the support of state. Endi