Feature: Landslide survivors eager to return to home village as temperature rises in Kathmandu

While India has been hit by heat wave killing more than 2,000 people, neighboring Nepal has also experienced a rise in temperature, making it more difficult for the earthquake-stricken Nepalese people to return to normal lives.

Over the weekend, the temperature in Kathmandu Valley has risen to 35 degrees Celsius and a maximum of 40 degrees Celsius in the western city of Nepalgunj.

It is definitely tough for the quake-hit and terrified locals in the capital, many of them still living in tents, particularly with the onset of the summer season. After the successive two strong quakes and several aftershocks, the people were subjected to heavy torrential rains.

It was more complicated for survivors from Langtang, a northern Nepalese village close to the border, who are now housed temporarily inside a monastery in the capital.

Their whole village with an elevation of around 3,500 meters from the sea level got buried by an avalanche triggered by massive quake of April 25.

Since last one month, the Yellow Gumba, a Buddhist monastery here, has been turned into a temporary settlement with colorful tents in its open courtyard and gardens where some 492 quake- displaced people from Langtang are now resettled.

These people, who speak the "Kerung" language, which is similar to Tibetan, are not accustomed to the summer heat and have expressed their wish to return to their village notwithstanding the risk of more landslides.

To 40-year-old Pasang Tamang, who was dressed in purple chuba blouse and apron, the traditional Tibetan dress, it is difficult for them to withstand the extreme heat in the capital.

"We have been living in Langtang for generations but the disaster left us homeless. Everything is ok here except the hot weather. That is why I still want to return my own village and live there", Pasang, whose in-laws died in the avalanche, told Xinhua.

Almost all the Langtang survivors temporarily housed in the Yellow Gumba have lost family members or relatives in the avalanche.

The Home Ministry had earlier confirmed that 176 people died from the avalanche in Langtang alone, including foreigners, since the area is very popular for trekkers.

The locals said that more than 60 people are still missing and are now presumed dead. Around 400 houses in the area have been buried by the avalanche.

Most of these displaced were dependent on hotel business, vegetable farming and tending to yaks. The government's oldest cheese factory, which used to be located in Langtang, is now buried underground.

Gyalbu Tamang, the 41-year-old former in-charge of the cheese factory, told Xinhua that nothing is left now for them. "We lost our family members and neighbors. There is no word to express our loss. But I still wish to go back to our place and start life all over again," he said.

Tamang, who has been working in the cheese factory for the past 17 years, said there were around 2,500 yaks in the Langtang Valley and all of them have perished along with hundreds of villagers.

The villagers of Langtang Valley, which has a year round cold temperature, have been accustomed to landslides and avalanches. But this time, the tragedy was huge, Tamang said.

Dindu Lama, who used to be a hotel entrepreneur in Langtang and lost his mother in the disaster, is also living in monastery with his children and wife for the past two weeks. These days, he is busy trying to fix appointment with the Home Ministry officials to request for their return to their village.

"We all cannot live in the capital for long time due to weather and environment. All we want is to return to own place where we live for generations. We have our roots there. I hope the authorities will grant us our request," Lama said. Endi