Nepal tremors leave state shaken

Ranchi/Jamshedpur: A large number of Nepalese families living in Jharkhand were anxious after a devastating earthquake hit the Himalayan country on Saturday killing over 876 and damaging hundreds of buildings. The earthquake disrupted phone lines making it impossible for people in Jharkhand to connect with their families and friends in Nepal.
The quake came as a nightmare for Geeta Sharma whose two sons study in Nepal’s Butwal city.“I have been unable to contact any of them. None of my family members is reachable through phone. There is no other means to know,” said Sharma, who lives in Ranchi with her husband, employee of a private firm.
Savita Thapa, who works with Jharkhand Armed Police, said she does not have the guts to watch TV but she is desperate to know the fate of her family members. “I am praying that they are safe,” Thapa who tried to contact her family in Kathmandu, said.
A JAP-1 constable, Maneka Thapa’s only son had gone to Nepal recently after his exams were over. “After several hours of trying, I managed to talk to him on the phone. He is fine,” Thapa, who had been anxious said.
A large number of Nepalese are employed in Jharkhand police. JAP-1 commandant Saket Kumar Singh said he has not come to know of any untoward incident involving the family members of any JAP-1 personnel.
In Jamshedpur, anxious Nepalese families took to Facebook to know the fate of their family members as phones did not work. “Initially, we tried to get in touch with our family members and relatives over the phone but owing to network breakdown we couldn’t establish contact and subsequently we took to Facebook through which we managed to know that my family and friends were safe,” president of Nepali Seva Samiti, Ram Narayan said.
Many of the Nepalese living in Jamshedpur have friends in Nepal’s western region which has been most devastated by the earthquake. “The earthquake has severely hit the western region of the country, largely between Kathmandu to Pokhara to Lamjung and near majority of the Nepali population in Jamshedpur belongs to this region,” said Ram Narayan, a Tata Steel employee.
The Nepalese living in Jamshedpur wish to send relief materials to the victims in Nepal. “Our immediate concern is to confirm the well being of our people living in Nepal. Then we will work out the measures such as arranging relief package, funds and sending delegation to the quake ravaged towns,” said the Seva Samiti functionary.
Over 50,000 Nepalese stay in different places in the town namely Babudih, Bhuyandih, Baridih, Golmuri, Tinplate, Burmamines and Birsa Nagar where they have been living since the early 1950s.