Shaken Grounds, Steadfast Hearts: The Earthquake Diary of a WASH Responder

……written right on the aftermath of the earthquake: July, 2015

 This title captures the dramatic nature of earthquakes and the critical role of WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) response in emergencies. It also highlights the personal perspective of the author, who is on the frontlines of the response, providing a first-hand account of the challenges and triumphs of restoring clean water and sanitation services in the aftermath of a disaster. Overall, it promises an engaging and informative read that sheds light on the crucial work of emergency WASH responders.

I am Mahesh Neupane, a civil engineer by profession with five years of experience working in Nepal's WASH sector for the Department of Water Supply and Sewerage, Government of Nepal. I have received a distinguished scholarship from the Australia Awards to study engineering science for a master's degree at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Australia. I was full of joy to start my studies in the second semester of 2015 at one of the top 42 engineering universities in the world. As I would be seeing the majority of the other Nepali awardees who had started their courses from the previous semester of 2015, I wasn't too concerned about adjusting to an Australian academic setting. All I could do was wait impatiently for June to arrive so I could travel to Australia and enroll at UNSW.

THE SECOND THE DEATHLY EARTHQUAKE HIT

The catastrophic 7.6 ML earthquake that struck Nepal on Saturday, April 25, 2015, as if it were a bolt from the heavens, came before my most anticipated moment. The epicenter of the earthquake was Barpak V.D.C. in the Gorkha region. Since my first IELTS was about to expire a month before I started my studies, I was in Kathmandu, the nation's capital, retaking the exam on the fourth floor. The poor building had a five-minute seismic tremor from 11:56 am to 12:01 pm, during which it broke its basement columns and split in two. At that moment, all I could think was, "This is how I was meant to end, and I accept this fate. However, Lord, please use your one grace to bless me one last time and save my family (my mom, wife, and 1.5-month-old son) even if I die." Psychosocial quotes that perpetuated the illusion that a person loves themselves above all others were untrue. That was incorrect, or I was someone else. However, what I discovered was that I never gave such foolish ideas any thought; my sole concern was "the security of my family before myself," regardless of whether it was my first or last thought. Rewind to the period when the tectonic plates were trembling.

After the following eight to ten minutes, all of the examinees left the building and congregated at the Jawalakhel area nearby. For the following two to three hours, the aftershocks persisted in striking us and rocking our entire world. We could barely get our breathing back to normal. I had both hands crossed and pressed against my chest. Abruptly, a girl, maybe eighteen, beside me began to shiver and passed out. I saw her spouse comforting her. My wife, a nurse, used to teach me basic first-aid techniques at home, so I quickly went to help her. That was the first time I was able to remember that, by my oath sworn on the day of service-entry, I am a "Civil Servant," tasked with serving the citizens of my country and being available around the clock in times of need. I saw that two or three other girls' hearts were also weakened by the tremor, and the same first aid measures were used to restore them to normal. Naturally, earthquakes were nothing new to me; during my bachelor's degree in civil engineering, I studied structural engineering, geology, and certain catastrophe survival techniques. Before we could fully recover our senses, there were already stories circulating that the iconic nine-story Dharahara had collapsed, resulting in multiple fatalities. Roads were fractured, the phone network was down, and traffic was heavy. In that chaotic moment, all I could see were three types of people: those who were still alive and running through the streets to find their loved ones; those who were instantly dead from the explosions of buildings; and those who were buried beneath the rubble. Since some of them were found dead, some were found alive, and some are still missing beneath the debris, I place them in the third group. I was lucky enough to fit into the first group, but there is no way to convey the three hours of psychological suffering I endured following the earthquake until I was reunited with my family.

THREE DAYS POST-EARTHQUAKE

There at Shantinagar, Baneshwor, it was a strange occasion. Everybody had left their house. People's shaking made them appear terrified and traumatized. Each person regarded themselves as fortunate to have been given a fresh start in life. There was no pin-drop silence to calm our senses and return to normal out there in the dirt. All of the mass was threatened by a single dog bark. Dogs are said to provide warning signs of impending shakes. I disagree because I didn't see dogs barking until after the shake was over. People eventually found themselves staring at dangling things of some kind, such as swings, streetlights, long, thin antennas for aftershock detection, and radios. And there used to be mayhem whenever the antennae trembled. In the past, people would get up from wherever they were sitting, even if it was in the center of the floor. Even I was one of them, which makes it very tough to comprehend why they did what they did. Maybe standing helps humans become more aware of their surroundings.

The first part of daylight was passed. Since nothing could be seen in the dark, detecting shake signals became less important. But the real test was still ahead of them. As night fell, everyone was concerned about where to sleep and what to eat. People were listening to radios and using mobile phones as sources of illumination, but their batteries were getting low. There was always a risk when navigating the tiny paths to get to homes to obtain food to eat or blankets and mats for sleeping since aftershocks would occur every 15 to 20 minutes. Shops were crowded with people purchasing bottled water and dry goods, and some of them started stockpiling food supplies. They briefly caused a shortage of sorts. All of these, meanwhile, were meant to sustain energy, and one of the primary issues—shelter—remains unresolved. Since not all of the earthquake-affected areas have received CGI sheets and tarpaulins, the mystery remains unresolved to this day. We were able to sleep with the sky open. However, it was short-lived since I had to move my shelter around midnight because of a downpour. I had a difficult time taking care of my family, and I found it particularly difficult to keep my 1.5-month-old son warm.

The following 6.8 ML earthquake struck again on April 26, with Sunkhani in the Sindhupalchowk District serving as the epicenter. In that district, this one resulted in the greatest number of casualties. The number of confirmed deaths was constantly rising, and many more persons were still listed as missing. Unusual helicopters and planes that we had never seen before were landing and taking off continually for a full day. People were in a tough situation because they were afraid to return home and since the press had reported on multiple house robberies. People were pleading with the authorities for food, drink, shelter, and security services. However, it appeared that the government was unprepared for the calamity. Even if it took some time for things to become disorganized, I still like how it worked for the answer. When I finally had a chance to switch dresses on the third day, that's when I discovered I had a cut on my back. I noticed that my shirt was also torn. I knew it was from the exam center because I was concealing my head under the table when concrete fragments from the walls fell off and struck my back. I hurried to Civil Hospital and had several injections and medical attention. The hospital had started providing free medical care to victims of the earthquake. In the list compiled on the third day, my name was listed as number 27. After three days, we continued to move our sanctuary, first into a covered hall and then into an abandoned or damaged school with CGI roofing. It became very difficult to maintain hygiene because about 500 individuals were utilizing the two shared restrooms. Urine overflowed into the playground due to clogged urinary outlets, which we were attempting to manage. At that moment, we learned that six residents of a temporary camp nearby, which was within 1.5 kilometers of the center, had already been suspected of having swine flu and had been transported to a local civil hospital. This seriously threatened me, therefore I ultimately decided to return to my apartment with my family, especially to keep my son safe from any infectious illnesses. I looked over my apartment complex before I went in. Though not attached to the verandah, the plinth was undamaged. Our only choice was to stay in the flat and wait for another aftershock to occur while keeping all the lights on, the doors open, and the passageways clean. I intended to leave Kathmandu and return home with my wife, son, and mother.

RELIEF OPERATIONS

On Wednesday, following three days of earthquake activity, I went to work. This is where I felt guilty. I had never read the WASH Contingency Plan, which said that on the second day of the crisis, the industry would convene in my office, the Department of Water Supply and Sewerage, at 2:00 PM. That's when the ideas of the Clusters Approach and Humanitarian Response finally clicked for me. I quickly discovered that I was well-prepared to join the cluster and begin providing emergency response in Nepal's 14 most severely hit districts. I was assigned to a part-time night shift in a call center in the interim. I worked at the department from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and then went to the call center to work from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. While it was exciting, the night work used to be taxing because people would phone the free hotline number 1234 to report issues. I was given the task of documenting any WASH-related issues and notifying the relevant authorities to take immediate action to address them during the night. For instance, a man would call and report that there was a scarcity of drinking water in a certain area. I would then call and alert the KUKL local water supply officials to the issue, and they would promptly provide the service. My department, the Ministry of Urban Development, was in charge of organizing the relief efforts in the meantime by providing water and shelter services. The ministry was practicing forming 23 teams of five people, each led by first-class officers of the Nepalese government, to be deployed to the 14 districts determined to be the most severely impacted by the earthquake that occurred on April 25, Nepal. Upon learning of this, I expressed my desire to work in the epicenter district of Gorkha and managed to get myself shortlisted for the team. Finally, on May 2, 2015, a week following the earthquake, I was sent by the ministry to begin emergency relief and response work for WASH in Gorkha.

@ THE EPICENTER, THIRTY DAYS AFTER THE EARTHQUAKE.

I soon discovered that I was in the Gorkha Municipality. I had anticipated seeing additional devastation in the Gorkha Municipality because I had already seen several damaged homes and new landslides. Contrary to what I had anticipated, however, I can only identify one or two demolished residences at the central district headquarters. I found that to be a pleasant surprise, so why should I be anticipating failure? A vast area, Gorkha stretches from Abukhaireni, a mid-hill in the south, to the Manaslu Peak (more than 8000 meters), which marks the northern border with China. The whole district is located in Nepal's hilly and mountainous ecological zone. Its road network coverage is inadequate; only about 30 to 40 percent of the whole area is connected to a road network. The main issue with the rescue and relief efforts was this. They were unable to reach the far northern VDCS, which is situated at high altitudes in the middle of the Himalayas, due to a flight height restriction imposed by the technological limitations of the available helicopters. The only ways to reach isolated areas were the established trekking routes, which were occasionally blocked by landslides brought on by earthquakes. To facilitate prompt access to the impacted areas, the government was mobilizing multiple armies to clear the road networks.

On behalf of the Water Supply and Sanitation Division Office-Gorkha, my team leader convened the WASH Cluster meeting that we attended the next day at the district level. The District WASH Cluster Approach co-lead role was given to CARE Nepal. We discovered that a few of the groups operating in the district for their usual projects were there and that some other groups providing humanitarian aid were en route. The government and UN created several standard forms for the WASH response mechanism and quick assessment. The entire area was divided into three classes according to the number of damaged homes, totaling 45,700 damaged homes. There was a list of all the INGOs and NGOs operating in the district. Additionally, we gathered data on who was doing what, where, and how. Furthermore, what was the amount of material stock they had? It was simple to plan and organize reaction operations with this information. However, because most of the groups had minimal human resources and had to be deployed in the field, it was exceedingly difficult to contact them for the cluster meetings. As required by the WASH Cluster Secretariat guidelines, we designated several organizations as focus agencies to work in 60 VDCs and 2 municipalities. These agencies were tasked with keeping a record of all WASH-related activities and reporting every week.

WHAT WE Observed

After arriving in Gorkha, we spent the first two days conducting a reconnaissance study of the damages in 25 VDCs that could be reached by road. There was plenty to learn from our observations. The district wasn't equally affected by the earthquake. In actuality, the Gorkha District's southern VDCs—including the headquarters—have sustained far less damage than their northern counterparts. The more natural destruction, including destroyed communities and massive/enormous landslides, we saw the closer we came to the epicenter. The traditional homes—even palaces—that were built on the hillsides were largely destroyed by the earthquake's shaking; they appeared to have been washed away. Locals claimed to have felt two shocks: one vertical and the other horizontal. Primary waves that emanate radially from the epicenter should be responsible for the vertical shock, while surf waves that travel along the earth's crust should be responsible for the horizontal shock. The majority of traditional homes have a length-to-width ratio of between 1.5 and 2.5. Shorter walls were seen to collapse. While the CGI roofs laid homes appeared undamaged from above, they were destroyed below. The stone-laid roofs were destroyed. A portion of the springs yielded more, while others yielded less, and a few even dried out. On the route to Barpak, the precise epicenter, we observed a brook that had dried up totally. Traditional load-bearing buildings and reinforced cement concrete constructions both sustained damage. From the perspective of the locals, the destruction of temples where people once worshipped appeared to do more emotional harm because they were left without a place to turn to god to have their problems healed. On the other hand, these conditions made people more sensible and cohesive. Everyone was observed supporting one another even though they were all in agony over losing loved ones or properties. Relief supplies were gradually making their way to the impacted families. The 11 Clusters sector as a whole could not satisfy all of the impacted parties' needs. Only 45,700 sets of relief supplies were required for Gorkha. This was one of fourteen such districts. Later on, a few additional districts were added to the list. As a result, giving the impacted people priority was crucial.

EXACT EPICENTER ASSESSMENT: BARPAK, THE FIRST ASCENT

I wanted to get down to business and begin working on relief efforts, so I was really unhappy to be limited to meeting attendance. We were able to successfully create a plan for evaluating the epicenter in the end. Roadways did not at that time provide access to the epicenter, Barpak. The micro hydro project was destroyed by a landslide, and the local politicians could not be reached via phone networks, which was the only source of electricity. As a result, the epicenter was not in contact at the time. Receiving information from the other end and making the necessary preparations was somewhat difficult. By coincidence, we were able to locate a local representative who had a store in the Gorkha Bazaar of the town. We were able to obtain sufficient information regarding the requirements and damages of the impacted individuals at Barpak through this dependable point of contact. The very following day, as per our prior assignment, we got in touch with Care Nepal, the WASH Response focus agency for Barpak VDC. We packed up our bags quickly and headed towards the epicenter with three trucks full of 750 hygiene kits, a tractor pulling a polytank, and two kilometers of HDPE pipes.

At 2:00 pm on that day, the two of us engineers set off for Barpak. Up until the closest distribution point, Rangrung, where we made our daily stop, the approach road was rather clear. At the foot of a woodland slope, it was a serene spot. Following the earthquake, we observed how individuals were adjusting to the calamity. A portion of the tarps were given to the most in need. People were lending each other their food and shelter. Our trip to Rangrung took four hours. But it took six hours for the loaded trucks to arrive; the last one did so at about 8:30 p.m. When I first saw Barpaki, or the people of Barpak, I had the most incredible impression. At Rangrung, we had met them. There, they had set up a makeshift camp. Most of the time, the relief supplies were dropped directly there. Individuals would still need to carry those things for four to five hours as they walked up a steep slope to get to the Barpak village. Their eyes did not seem to be filled with sorrow. People were rushing about handing out materials. It made me think of the barter system and the Stone Age. People were still making an effort to remain cheerful and smile despite their desperation and anguish over losing loved ones and possessions. "Dead ones are gone by; the living ones should not bother them; instead, learn to adapt to new struggles," they were urging.

The damned unsteady thing returned before we could even relax after unloading stuff from the trucks. The ground began to tremble at the epicenter as we were having a break while seated over the unloaded hygiene kits. I had experienced earthquakes before, so they weren't new to me, but when I heard the actual sound—since it was dark and I couldn't see anything—I was terrified to death. If you haven't heard it, let me tell you, even though it sounds strange. You can hear the rocks grinding together, grrrr. You can also feel the shock as a result. Your floor trembles in time with the sound, sporadically but steadily. You have the impression of being dragged across a mat on an uneven surface. In a quiet area, you can hear it. Later, news reports stated that the epicenter and aftershock were located at a distance of around 4 ML. We heard a different kind of regular sound within a minute of the aftershock. And now was the time for landslides. Although they were pointing their torches in the direction of the sound, nobody was able to see anything. We were all afraid as the rubble began to descend from the top of the hills, but we couldn't see where it was coming from. If we could only see that, we could flee from its path. But in the dark forest, the landslides were unseen. All we could do was listen for the sound, identify its tone, and prepare to flee as soon as we sensed it. The dread lasted for almost fifteen minutes, and then it ended with a loud splash in the river at the foot of the hill. We felt at ease now. However, before we could even catch our breath, there was another landslide. The same conditions arose once more: being alert to run, hearing the sound, and determining the direction of the landslide. I am unable to put it into words. It resembled Gorilla War in certain ways. You can never be sure where a blow might come from. I was incredibly afraid once more. Thank heavens, that was the final one for that evening. Late at night, we were offered a bowl of simple rice. It was a peculiar encounter. Who cares, they cooked what they had in relief, and there was a variety of rice being offered. We ate it and went to bed at about eleven o'clock.

When we awoke the following morning, our sleeping mattress and tarpaulin tent had "just vanished." We looked for it, but it appeared to be rather hard to find, so we gave up looking. We had the opportunity to see how things were allocated throughout the early hours of the day. The locals would distribute relief supplies in nine sections first, regardless of how they arrived. Within the VDC, each component represented a single ward. There would be 200 households on average in each VDC. In total, 1438 households from all 9 wards made up Barpak. The local distribution system was so effectively run that the technical methods of the first meeting with the ward secretary, getting a detailed list of those impacted, and then dispersing it didn't seem appropriate. I can illustrate why a local distribution system is preferable. A large sack of vegetables showed up in relief one day. There were nine cauliflowers inside the bag when they opened it. How to divide those nine cauliflowers among the 1438 families, each with five family members, was the challenge at hand. But they made it work by providing vegetables to the poorest family in each ward, whose homes were set on fire.

We then examined the piped water supply infrastructure. People were retrieving water from a hazardous source, and we discovered that the water was obstructed. Aquatabs were supplied right away after appropriate instruction and demonstration. Those were greatly appreciated by a group of armies, who needed to continue moving forward by clearing more roadways. We saw the pipeline damage. At multiple locations, landslides carried it away. We rebuilt the washed-out pipeline portion with a new pipeline that we had carried on the tractor and repaired the system with the help of four to five local laborers and local tools. The relief items that were supplied showed diversity. The temporary shelters that were given varied in shape from basic square tents to intricate ones. Foods ranged widely, from dry goods and noodles to main course items like rice and vegetables, and even secondary necessities like nicotine and cigarettes (we were told at the district level). However, who is at fault and what did that person need to be held accountable for? Donors contributed generously from the bottom of their hearts, and recipients accepted it without question. That culminates in optimistic thinking.

Our tasks for the day included distributing hygiene kits and quickly assessing the damage to the WASH sector. Two additional members of the Care Nepal crew accompanied us. The biggest surprise of all was learning that Australian Aid had supplied the white boxes containing hygiene kits that Care Nepal had brought. This shocked me deeply since it brought to memory both the certificate I had gotten from the Chief Secretary of the Government of Nepal the previous year and my renowned Australia Awards Scholarship. However, at that point, it no longer mattered to me or was an issue of ecstasy. Before my job advancement, I was already on a broader mission to reach the unreached and serve the impacted, therefore I had virtually forgotten about it. "Do well and come back after two years here," the chief secretary remarked to me at that time as I recall it. I briefly considered following his instructions religiously because I had no intention of going there.

Each home received a set of hygiene kits from us. Every kit weighed about six kg. I was concerned because we had added more weight for the elderly women to carry during their four to five-hour hike uphill. At 2:00 pm, as the hygiene kit distribution got underway smoothly and under control, we set out for Barpak Village. It took us about six hours to climb. The uneven mud road made the ascent quite difficult. Thousands of cracks, with average sizes of 5 cm and maximum lengths of 3 m, were visible. It was unsettling to walk over those fissures. However, we had the guts to cross over because other residents were taking the same path. People who were unaware of the use of the disposable pooping bags we saw on the way were discarding portions of them. They were in the sanitary pack that we had given out. We made an effort to tell everyone we came across. I discovered the mistake there: instead of storing a diagram catalog, we ought to have retained one to advise individuals on how to use the hygiene kit's contents. In the meantime, I managed to show a woman and ask her if she knew the purpose of the two white spongy packages (sanitary pads). "There should be bread inside," she retorted. Once more, we learned from that mistake we had made.

While traveling, a native showed us the exact epicenter, pointing out the hill next to the one we were ascending. According to him, that particular portion of the hill was chopped off when the hill burst forth first. Above that spot, all we could see were two houses. The remainder cannot be calculated because that portion of the hill was washed away. I was thinking about what might occur if it rains. The destruction would be beyond measure. It seemed inconceivable. We passed by the "Mandre" village, where nine people had perished inside their homes. With the promise that they would move their settlement thereafter, their relatives buried them directly in front of their yards. When we arrived at Barpak village, it was already 8 p.m. We had little trouble finding lodging or food because we had already gotten in touch with our ministry partners through local channels, who had arrived there for a temporary shelter purpose within a week of the earthquake.

When we awoke the following morning, the stunning Barpak Village was silhouetted above by a long range of brilliant red mountains at dusk; the extent of the destruction was evident as we peered down into the settlement. According to the preliminary damage assessment, all of the houses had collapsed, leaving only three to four standing. Our colleagues built two relocated temporary communities on hillsides over maize fields. People have a hard time looking for their necessities in the rubble. Because the houses were all layered on top of one another and flattened down, it was difficult to tell them apart. Barpak's historic homes were made only from stacking flat stones, called phyllites, without the use of mud mortar for bonding. All of the houses eventually collapsed for this reason. It was later discovered that people rejected stones, and they intended to build new communities entirely of CGI sheets and wooden planks.

Video: Site assessment @ the epicenter village, Barpak, Gorkha, Nepal.

The yield of the Mulpani spring increased dramatically, going from 9–10 liters per second to 14–15 liters per second. There was an abundance of water accessible, with acceptable quality as well. There were two distinct possibilities when it came to WASH damage assessment, though. In one scenario, water is not flowing from pipes, indicating that there should be damage to the system; in the other scenario, water is flowing from pipes but the house is damaged and the residents have moved. Assessments were required in both of these situations due to the water supply system breakdown. The same applied to latrines as well. But keeping up with basic sanitation was a big problem. Individuals were urinating outside of their makeshift villages. Nonetheless, the people had a fair amount of awareness because of the "open defecation free" campaign. Certain locations are more vulnerable to water-borne illnesses than others because of water scarcity. For the latter, the situation was Barpak. There in the village of Barpak, we set up two brand-new temporary water delivery systems. We saw that to stop the spread of water-borne illnesses brought on by open defecation, ready-made toilet pans were quickly needed. From the temporary health post, we discovered that over 33% of the victims—a male ranging in age from 27 to 61—reported having diarrhea.

At the foothill, relief supplies began to accumulate despite our best attempts. Food, housing, and water were the top priorities for people, with sanitation coming in last. The people would descend the hill, wait for many hours, and then come back carrying one kilogram of rice and two packages of noodles. In addition to not having enough provisions for everyone, they did not take as much stuff as they could have given the time and effort it took to gather supplies. Big questions remained unanswered, such as who would transport the elderly and physically frail who are unable to descend to gather relief supplies, who would oversee the land for the affected people's temporary settlement, and how landowners would be persuaded to let people remain in their fields of maize—their only crop—and how the inaccessible ones would be reached. (The following VDC was more longer and steeper; it was a foot walk to Laprak.) Affected parties were already being asked to leave by landowners. We were getting nervous about the infections spreading and a lot of chaos, so we decided to return to town for reinforcement.

56 Men in Search of Load Carriers

We went back to Gorkha a few days later. Since we had completed the assessment and given hygiene kits to the majority of the Barpak VDC's wards, the only WASH needs that remained were to fix Barpak's main water supply system, which served the majority of the damaged community, collect the remaining hygiene kits for the unreached, and collect as many ready-made toilet pans as possible for Barpak and other locations. My next goal was to evaluate the other VDCs that were situated outside of Barpak since Barpak had already been evaluated. I then understood the proverb held by old men: "Climbing down is more difficult than climbing up." I barely made it back to the Gorkha office. Since I was utterly incapable of walking normally, I took a two-day break and traveled to Pokhara, where I sent my spouse on her way home, before to being sent to Gorkha. In just two days, she offered me several massages and some medication. I mustered the courage to continue walking after two days of respite. I visited the hiking association in the meantime to look for porters, hikers, assistants, and human resources. I managed to compile a list of 115 men who expressed interest in walking uphill and carrying all the goods, along with their contact information.

AFTER EPICENTRE: THE SECOND ASCENT

Following my arrival in Gorkha, I disseminated the details of 56 guys who were prepared to come and carry loads, since this would be the most efficient way to move items in isolated locations that are not reachable by roads. This time, I searched for the main organization in charge of carrying out the WASH Response for the Laprak VDC, and I found Oxfam. Having learned from my previous experience, I felt rather confident going into the emergency WASH response activity a second time. After two days, we collected 650 hygiene kits, enough to supply every home in Laprak VDC. This time, we were bringing extra solar-powered phone chargers, communal lamps, and toilet pans to distribute. 56 men from Pokhara and a few Oxfam employees were with me. The first day we got to Barpak. Ten makeshift restrooms were built at Barpak with the help of a few of the men, and loads to be carried directly up to Laprak were assigned to the others. The road networks were cleaned during the next few days, all the way to Barpak and Laprak. We were the first car to climb up to Laprak. We arrived there in the evening.

The original Laprak hamlet, which was at the base of the hill, was destroyed by an earthquake, and its residents moved to Gupsi Dada, which is at the summit of the hill. There were four makeshift camps in the immediate area. Perched at an elevation of 3000 meters, the Laprak settlement was even more picturesque than Barpak. Many mountain ranges, including the Bouddha Himal, Ganesh Himal, and Manaslu Peak (elevation above 8000 meters), were visible. After passing a hill covered with wild strawberries, we came upon a forest of the national flower, the rhododendron (which comes in white, pink, and red varieties). I had never before seen such a sea of strawberries or several varieties of white and pink flowers. My adventure was made more enjoyable by these novel events.

The Laprak VDC, however, faced a greater risk of disease outbreak. We observed that the latrines were in really bad shape. People had trench toilets built for them by armies. However, that was filthy and improper as well. Thus, we began building temporary water supply systems and 25 temporary restrooms with our jumbo staff. In a few days, we finished the quick assessment of Laprak. Gumda VDC was next door and extremely close. Our intelligence indicated that Gumda did not have a water scarcity issue, but the level of sanitation was quite concerning, so we dispatched a team of laborers equipped with toilet pans to build many makeshift restrooms in Gumda. There were many more isolated VDCs located outside of Laprak; in fact, about half of the district's territory was outside of Laprak, where our local staff members were already assigned to gather data for the Ministry of Home Affairs' damage assessment. The personnel had to proceed farther despite our ability to see that the running landslides were blocking the trekking pathways along those VDCs. At Laprak, lodging and flooding were major issues. The tent was insufficient to keep out the bitter cold. We had a bad night's sleep at Laprak because we had already misplaced our comfortable tent and mattresses. The cuisine presented an equally difficult challenge. To maintain our energy levels for work, we consumed wild fruits and mushrooms as the main course in recipes. I returned to Barpak on the final day of my trip back. I hadn't charged my phone in a few weeks, at least not to snap photos of the tasks I completed. I therefore choose to use a public charger to charge. From 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., Indian Army generators powered it up. At that moment, a small aftershock struck, sending people fleeing with anything they could grab. In less than a minute, my personal extension chord, two cell phones, two chargers, and numerous photos from the job were all gone. I could never track down the local who took it.

Lastly, following the implementation of WASH emergency response in Barpak, Laprak, and Gumda. I went back to Gorkha town again. It was beginning to pour quite a little already. I got stopped because of landslides in most of the sites I went to. I had not given the helicopter option any thought. I just waited for the roads to clear so I could get down. The monsoon was upon us. In hailstorms, the tarps that were supplied would not hold up. Strong winds were blowing tarps away, as we saw. Strong gusts had the potential to carry away the dispersed CGI sheets, injuring people. Many of the river-cut zones have multiple fractures on them, making them vulnerable to landslides. News reports had already begun to surface on landslides blocking the Kaligandaki and Bhotekoshi Rivers. People were being cautious because the worst might still be ahead. My sole focus was on the idea that although the deceased have passed away, the living are still fortunate, and as such, they ought to help the impacted. After finishing my job on rapid response and preliminary assessment, I went back to Gorkha town.

I discovered that I had received my Subclass 576 VISA for Australia more than a week ago when I finally opened my inbox. Asking to leave the country for personal studies overseas was an unpleasant issue, particularly at a time when the nation was in dire need of emergency assistance. Additionally, on the fifteenth day following the earthquake, the government released a circular prohibiting any civil official from departing the nation until July 15, 2015, to conduct training exercises or study tours. Despite the difficulties, I was able to return to Kathmandu on the 30th day after the earthquake to get approval for a study leave, which was eventually granted for valid grounds. On the day I was permitted to start my studies, I signed the Australia Award contract; maybe this went against Australia Awards' policy as well. I apologize for any hassles I may have caused, but the reality is that the nation needs resources right now, whether they be financial, material, or human. I was therefore prepared to decide whether or not to give before I depart for my postgraduate studies in Australia. I ultimately personally deposited an advance check for NRs. 100,000.00 (about USD 1,000.00) in the Prime Minister Disaster Relief Fund of Nepal with my wife's spiritual support. Money will be coming in until the first week of July 2015 since I'll be using funds from the Australia Awards Scholarship to finish the payment. I will be sending my wife a portion of my establishing fund, and she will assist me in depositing the money into the account. Even though I'm not there, I hope this may help with the relief efforts in Nepal following the earthquake.

THANKS FOR READING OUT MY STORY!

If anyone comes to read this, hope this write-up will be remembered in the future to understand what transpired, how people reacted, how relief efforts were carried out at the time of 7.8 ML mega earthquake in Nepal in 2015, and how I was able to overcome it by doing my best in my line of work and obligations.