प्रकोपको पर्खाइ

महाविनाशकारी भूकम्पपछि उद्धार र राहतका लागि मानव बस्तीमा भीड बढिरहँदा त्रिभुवन विश्वविद्यालयका भूगर्भशास्त्रका उपप्राध्यापक दीपक चम्लागाईं आफ्नो टोलीसँग चुरेका डाँडातिर लागे । कारण थियो, भूकम्पका कारण त्यहाँ परेका चिराहरूको पहिचान गरी त्यसका आधारमा सम्भावित भौगर्भिक अवस्थाको मूल्यांकन गर्नु । भारतीय र युरेसियन प्लेटका कारण नेपालमा जहाँ भूकम्प गए पनि त्यसको ऊर्जा निकास चुरे पर्वतमा बन्ने दरारबाट हुन्छ ।

सुरुमा भौगर्भिक दृश्यका आधारमा अगाडि बढे पनि पछि स्थानीयवासीका सूचनालाई समेत पछ्यायो, चम्लागाईंको टोलीले । त्यस क्रममा उनीहरूले सर्लाही, हरिवनको अत्रौली पहाडमा भूकम्पसँगै सक्रिय भएको झन्डै आठ मिटर लामो पहिरो फेला पारे । “तर, त्यो पहिरोलाई सामान्य ढंगबाट हेर्न मिल्दैनथ्यो,” चम्लागाईं सुनाउँछन्, “त्यसले जमिनमा भएको पानीको स्थितिमा परिवर्तन ल्याएको छ ।” जस्तो : त्यसको असर तत्कालै देखिन थाल्यो । भूकम्प रोकिएको एक घन्टामै केहीअघिसम्म सुक्खा रहेको अत्रौली खोलामा पानी बग्न थाल्यो, डाँडातिरका रूख भने सुक्न थाले । 

Duck or run?

→ Kalpana Gajurel was preparing for her +2 examination in the front yard of her house in Laharepauwa of Rasuwa district. As soon as the earthquake struck, she ran inside and hid under the bed as she was instructed in school. The house collapsed, the bed crushed her.

→ Five children who were playing on an open field in Kahule of Nuwakot district went running into their house and hid under a bed when the shaking started. All of them were killed.

→ Bil Prashad Shrestha of Aarughat of Gorkha lost his daughter after he wished her a long life on her birthday. His wife and daughter were upstairs when the house started shaking. His daughter didn’t come down saying she had been told to take cover under the bed. The house collapsed, and there was no one to rescue her. When found, she was dead.

***

Earthquake awareness programs in schools have repeated it over and over again: stand under the door, hide under the desk or bed if there is an earthquake, but do not run. Most of those who ran in last month’s earthquakes lived, but many of those who followed the instructions died.

This has prompted experts to question their emphasis on the Drop, Cover and Hold (DCH) method of earthquake safety. The death toll could also have been much higher if the earthquake had struck during a school day.

In fact, DCH takes into consideration several factors like the strength of the structure, the floor in which people are in and how many of them are there. But when only two factors (not to run, and to duck) were emphasised in earthquake awareness programs it did not help save lives.

DCH is effective when the roof of the house isn’t too heavy, in houses with concrete pillars, and most importantly, when one can’t reach a safe open space immediately.

न उद्घार, न राहत

(मेलम्ची) एउटा विपत्तिको घाउ सन्चो हुन नपाउँदै राम्चे गाविसकी चमेली मगर, ४१, लाई अर्को संकटले सताएको छ । १२ वैशाखको भुइँचालोमा परी सिन्धुपाल्चोकमा मात्रै तीन हजारले ज्यान गुमाए । तर, तीन सन्तान र पतिसहितको परिवारलाई सामान्य चोटसमेत नलाग्दा पनि उनी उति खुसी छैनन् ।

गत वर्ष १६ साउनमा जुरे पहिरोमा घरबार गुमाएको उनको परिवारले सात लाख रुपियाँ ऋणधन गरेर अर्को घर बनाएको थियो । ५ माघमा नयाँ घर सरेपछि उनले सोचेकी थिइन्, नमीठो विगतलाई बिर्सेर छोराछोरीलाई राम्रोसँग पढाउन मात्र सके पनि जीवन सहज बन्दै जानेछ । तर, उनको सपनामा तीन महिना नबित्दै तुषारापात भएको छ ।