Summary of Ri VDC, Dhading - NAPA

Description

Ri VDC, Dhading rice and roofing tin response

Prepared by Rod Setterlund, President, Nepal Australia Friendship Association (NAFA)



Highlights of history and current status of Ri VDC, Dhading rice and roofing tin response

25 April 2015 - date of 1st earthquake, epi-center at Gorkha, just west of Ri VDC, Dhading district, where NAFA and other like-minded INGO partners have worked together to support a group of villages in health, education and other community infrastructure e.g. water, micro-hydro, improved cooking stoves for over 15 years.

Circa 30 April - photos begin to be sent out showing devastating damage to the Ri VDC area. 100% of houses were destroyed in the area 82 people killed in that VDC. All infrastructure has also been destroyed by earthquake and subsequent landslides, though some materials have been salvaged.

5 May 2015 - Ri VDC wide (25 villages) request letter and budget received from the Hilly Region Development Club via Chandra Tamang, requesting 1.5 bundles of roofing tin per household to provide temporary shelter before the onset of the monsoon season and 2 x 30 = 60 kgs of rice for 1,173 households whose home had been destroyed by the earthquake. Following village by village survey the total number was adjusted on 20 May to 2,223 families.

5-17 May – Campaign to raise funds for immediate response in Ri VDC, coordinated by Chandra Tamang (Hilly Region Development Club) in Kathmandu, Rod Setterlund (NAFA) in Australia, other INGO and private supporters of the area in Australia (Nepalese Association of Queensland), Spain (Smile Back to Me), Austria (Nepaleducaid), France (Namaste Enfant d’Himalayan) and Kuwait (British School).

12 May – date of 2nd and 3rd large earthquakes in Nepal, epi-center at Namche Bazaar near Everest.

18 May – contract signed with Hulas steel Industries Limited to manufacture 8 ft long (12 sheets per family = 1.5 bundles) colour bonded (to prevent rust) 28 gauge heavy corrugated iron sheets, with final specifications determined in consultation with community representatives and the manufacturer.

Final cost per family = 9,325 Nrs (AUD$117), which compared to the list price of that gauge and quality of iron, represents a 24% discount off the list price. Discount negotiated by Chandra due to volume and personal contacts.

23 May 2015 – Rice ordered: 1,223 families x 2 bags x 30 kgs = 2,020 Nrs (AUD$25.25) per family.

28 May 2015 – Rod arrived in Kathmandu. Discussed logistics of getting roofing tin and rice to end of road head with Chandra. Chandra contacted 4WD truck owners who indicated they would only be able to transport 1,000 bags of rice x 30 kgs = 3,000 kgs = 3 Ton per load at 23,000 Nrs per truckload. This is far less than the 10 ton capacity of 2 WD trucks driving on the bitumen roads to Dhading.

We re-calculated the number of trucks needed to be in excess of 50 truckloads for the anticipated 150 ton combined load of the roofing tin and rice. This would increase the cost of transport significantly but also mean that it was very unlikely that we would be able to make it there before the monsoon rains close the road.

Concluded we needed to try and get transport support from someone. Looked up UN website and eventually got connected to the UN World Food Program’s Logistics Cluster, the area responsible for coordinating support, including road and helicopter transport of goods. Spoke to head of area who offered to meet with us the next day. Chandra and I submitted an online transport assistance request form, then went out to the Cargo area of the airport the following day, where the logistics cluster team is based within the World Food Program.

After an hour and a half wait met with relevant staff who said support was possible but that it would take about 65 helicopter trips (maybe a week or longer, weather permitting) from Dhading Besi to Tawal (10 minutes each way by helicopter) to transport the 150 ton of roofing tin and rice.

30 May – 2 June A number of visits to UN Logistics Cluster site at airport. Were told on 2 June that the Mi8 Russian built helicopter they were planning to use was too big to land at the school in Tawal so an alternative site was needed.

After checking Google earth and with Chandra’s knowledge of the area, agreed on a site at Ladap (Coordinates = N28.05’17.43 E84.59’09.56), where 3 terraces ended up having to be cleared of maize crop and then flattened to give the UN the 50 metres by 50 metres landing site required. Farmers to be compensated for losing their crop and the terrace boundaries. UN agent said they wanted to wait until all the rice (already in Dhading) and roofing tin (at the time still being manufactured) was in Dhading before they would start the airlift.

The rice already in Dhading and ready to be airlifted.

1 June Hulas agent agreed to delivery date of Thursday 4 June to Dhading after much negotiation as the demand for roofing tin at this time is very high.

2 June Manufacture of roofing tin commenced but the wording that Chandra had proposed to acknowledge donors was too long for the stamp they had so we had to drop the idea as we didn’t want to hold up production. Alternatively Chandra organised the printing of a banner and stickers for each bundle of tin, acknowledging the major donors.

4 June Roofing tin arrives in Dhading but not colour bonded. Manufacturer accepts their paperwork error as colour bonded roofing tin paid for. Agrees to re-manufacture and after many back and forth personal visits to the agent, deliver date of 11 June agreed upon.

4 June UN Logistics Cluster notified and agrees to separate application for transport assistance, so uplift of rice can proceed from 5 June.

5 June Boarded UN hired helicopter, accompanied by Avinash Shrestha (Nepalese Association of Queensland), Chandra Tamang and Tuddha Tamang.

10+ HRDC volunteers were ready at Landing Zone (LZ) in Dhading Besi to load rice and then to Ladap for first delivery of rice.

6 loads on first day, then public holiday for pilots and crew on Saturday so no flights then varied number of flights from Sunday 7 June, with helicopter again unavailable on Monday 8 June as needing maintenance. Varied number of airlifts due to having to share use of the helicopter with other NGOs

Other problems needing to be solved along the way include having to change the LZ in Dhading due to excess dust on landing and having to spend 2 hours each day to prepare LZ at Ladap by putting water on it (much by hand via water jugs) to keep the dust down.

Rod and Avinash in the area for 4 days (see separate report) to assess earthquake damage, talk to local leaders and witness commencement of rice distribution to families.

7 June Rice distribution commences after Rod and Avinash address local leaders and the first recipients, expressing sadness on behalf of all supporters of area (namely each donor and persons who have visited the area who the villagers know), explaining how funds for the roofing tin and rice response were raised, confirming that donors will stand by villages in the area during the next phase of rebuilding and expressing confidence in the strength, skills and resilience in them to rebuild their lives after such a terrible event.

Villagers express appreciation with kartas and big smiles for the response and offer to stand by them in their time of need.

7-10 June Rice distributed to about 70% of families in the VDC (6 of 9 wards= 18 of 25 villages). Each of the 9 wards are taking turns volunteering to unload helicopter and then at the end of the day return to their shelters with their allocation of rice. List of families in each ward maintained by HRDC representatives to keep track of distribution.

12 June – monsoon rains start in Dhading. Though there are sufficient tarpaulins below and above rice, steam comes up from the ground, enduring 45 bags (2%) inedible. These will need to be replaced, adding 46,000 Nrs (AUD $575) to budgeted costs.

Additional costs are also being borne at the Landing Zone in Dhading Besi as the roofing tin has to be off-loaded from the larger trucks to smaller 4WD trucks to get across rising river waters. Additional costs at least 200,000 Nrs ($2,500) need to be added to budget.

15 June – rice distribution to 1,223 families in Ri VDC completed.

17 June - uplift of roofing tin from Dhading to Ladap started.

7 July - 80% of uplift of roofing tin completed = 975 out of the 1,223 families

7 July – 150 villagers stuck after picking up their roofing tin allocation in Ladap (landing zone for uplift) due to ongoing big storms in area.

8 July – distribution of roofing tin to 1,223 families in Ri VDC completed (yeh!).



Summary: Local villagers are extremely grateful of the assistance that has been provided by the major donors listed below, as well as all the smaller donors not listed. The response was logistically very challenging but we have got there in the end and we should all be very proud of this achievement in helping those in great need at this time. There are uncertain times ahead due to landslide risks but hopefully the next phase will be a rebuilding phase commencing after the monsoon season ends.
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