Quake-damaged housing continues revitalization

Reconstruction of housing in areas of the Tibet autonomous region affected by last year's earthquake in Nepal is ongoing, with thousands of buildings expected to go up this year as the weather warms.

Schools, medical facilities, transportation and border trade are mostly back to normal in the region, but the work to build roads and houses is continuing a year after the 8.1-magnitude earthquake struck Nepal.

After the April 25, 2015, quake, affected residents received basic necessities such as tents, water, food, clothes and medical care. In Tibet's Gyirong county, one of the severely affected areas, residents initially lived in tents, then were relocated to government houses.

Choezom, 72, whose house collapsed during the quake, was pleased with the house, furniture and other basic necessities she received.

"When I was about to worry about how to spend a cold winter, I was provided a stove and it was warm inside my house," she said. "With a stove, the house is warm and bright, and it is much better than living in the tents."

According to the residents of Gyirong, the government has said it will build a four-story house for each displaced family.

In Nyanang county, another area affected by the quake, 3,521 households are enrolled in the house reconstruction project, county chief Lu Wei said. Of those, 882 houses are already being built, now that the weather is warmer, Lu said.

Tsering Ngodrub, a villager in Tibet's Nyanang county, said he had big concerns after his family's house was heavily damaged by the quake, but no longer worries after the government promised to build them a house of 111.5 square meters.

"I am very happy the government will build us such a nice house, and I will find a temporary job to increase the family income," Tsering Ngodrub said. "With poverty alleviation project and our own efforts, I believe we will have a bright future."

Medical care also has recovered in the area. One infant, Drolma, who was born on the day of the earthquake, lived the first week of her life with her mother in an ambulance, then moved into a temporary house built by the government.

She has received regular medical checkups over the past year at a clinic for residents in Dram township in Tibet's second largest city of Xigaze.

The clinic's laboratory can meet the basic medical needs of the community's evacuees, Doctor Tashi Sangmo said. The clinic treats about 20 people daily, at no cost to the patients, and those needing more sophisticated care are sent to the city hospital.

Phuntsok, a 60-year-old Sherpa from Dram, said she visits the clinic every day for a blood pressure check. "I used to live in a low attitude place, and I am not totally adjusted to such a high attitude area, so I have my blood pressure checked every day," Phuntsok said.

She walks daily and exercises on the fitness equipments in the community yard. "I want to take good care of myself, and I want to be stronger," she said.

Schooling in the affected areas resumed within days of the disaster. The 347 students of Gyirong Central Primary School received lessons in tent classrooms for several months, then moved to a school building in September. Construction on other facilities continues.

"The government will rebuild our teaching building, teacher's dormitories, the sports ground, and school environment, " said Jigme, the school's headmaster.

Tenzin Namgyal, the party secretary of the Xigaze Municipal City Committee said the government expects to conclude the reconstruction work by the end of 2017.

"We will work hard to improve the living conditions of the quake victims, and we are quite confident about turning the affected places wealthier, more beautiful, and more harmonious," Tenzin Namgyal said.