Socio-Demographic Impact Study of Nepal Earthquake 2015 at Sindhuli District

As a result of the two major earthquakes that struck Nepal at 11:56 am on 25 April, and 12 May 2015, nearly 9,000 lives and over half a million homes have been destroyed. In this connection, the paper tries to assess the socio-demographic impact of Nepal earthquake 2015 with reference to Sindhuli district. The Sindhuli district of Nepal was one of the highly affected districts among the fourteen severely destructed districts of the central part of Nepal, was purposively selected among them for the study purpose. The paper utilized the both primary and secondary data. The survey found that the earthquakes had unevenly affected the age, gender, poorer, rural locations relative to the urban and less poor areas. It also found that women and children had comparatively fallen victim to anxiety, trauma, depression, feeling helpless, loss of interest (passive) and irrational fear. During the survey, the study found that the NGOs, INGOs, Private and Personal support agencies/actors had played significant role in distribution of relief package at Sindhuli district of Nepal. The distributions of relief materials were challenging because of lack of road connectivity to reach at many earthquake affected villages in Sindhuli district.

earthquakes, Nepal is a developing nation in a seismically active plate boundary zone. Globally, Nepal ranks 4th and 11th in terms of its relative vulnerability to climate change and earthquakes, respectively [1] [2].
Moreover, Nepal earthquake 2015 was unique in its own way. The tremor first took place around 11:56 AM on April 25, 2015 and more than 300 aftershocks went on unabated thereafter and continued till the date with an average magnitude greater than of 4.0 Richter scale. Severe tremors did hit Nepal in the past as well. The first such tremor hit took place in 1255 AD killing one-third of the population of the Kathmandu valley including the King Abhaya Malla and second time in 1934 AD with a magnitude of 8.4 Richter scale causing more than 10,000 deaths again in the Kathmandu valley itself. Besides these two recorded devastating quake episodes, Nepal had faced several such shaking experiences but of lesser kinds (in terms magnitude and damages caused) during 1980, 1988 and in 2011 [3] [4] [5]. Nepal should have learned lesson, where the nation had gone through severe disaster and had tremendously impacted the social, culture and economical sector overall [6]. Table 1 shows the losses due to earthquake and other disasters in different period of time [5].  [7]. According to PDNA report (NPC, 2015), Sindhuli district is one of the highly affected districts among them in terms of their degrees of devastation. Therefore, Sindhuli district is chosen to screening survey for purpose of socio-demographic impact study.
Socio-demographic Information of Sindhuli District: Nepal has experienced demographic growth with a more than threefold increase of the population, from 8.3 million to 26.5 million people, over the last six decades [8] [9]. Sindhuli is geographically large mid-mountainous district situated in Janakpur Zone of Central development region of Nepal. The area of the district is 2491 Sq. km. According to the report of the National Census 2011, the population of Sindhuli is 296192. It represents 1.12 percent of total population of Nepal [9].  [11]. Table 2 reflects the principal development indicators of Sindhuli district [12] and Table 3 shows the general demographic information of Sindhuli district [9].

Objectives
The general objective of the study is to examine the socio-demographic impact study of Sindhuli district after Nepal earthquake 2015 through screening survey.
• To explore the secondary data aftermath of earthquake that DDRC has produced the data relating to human as well as physical loss. • To examine the socio-demographic situation at severely hit, moderately hit and the least hit area of the district.

Significance of the Study
Nepal has been ranked by the UNDP (2009) as the 11 th position in the world in terms of vulnerability to earthquakes [2]. However, Nepal was struck with a catastrophic earthquake of magnitude 7.8 on 25 April 2015 causing a significant loss of life and property. The thirty one districts in Central Nepal were affected among which 14 districts suffered worst damages [7]. The large earthquakes that hit central parts of Nepal not only led to huge damage and loss of lives but also brought the country to the limits of successful disaster management. Therefore, it appears necessarily significant and timely to examine closely to a detailed inventory of damage and loss caused by the recent earthquakes and associated relief and resettlement activities.

Materials and Methods
The study has designed the mix-methods to fulfill the study purposes. The study is based on descriptive research design in nature. Therefore, the study was focused to generate quantitative and qualitative data from the field screening survey. The quantitative data were collected with the help of district

Results and Discussions
The collected data are broadly divided into two categories such as quantitative and qualitative information to analyze and discussion. The first part deals about the secondary data which are presented and discussed as quantitative information in the below.

Earthquake Affected Area & Households
The Sindhuli district comprises 50 VDCs and 2 Municipalities. The District Disaster Relief Committee (DDRC) of Sindhuli has divided into two broad categories to the earthquake affected areas: severely affected and slightly affected areas.
DDRC has categorized the affected areas and households on the basis of household damage. Among the VDCs and municipalities, Table 4 shows that about half of the areas were severely affected areas and half of the areas were slightly affected areas by the earthquake in the Sindhuli district. The total affected population was about 1.90 lakh and the total earthquake affected households were 41677 in number. Among the total affected households, 30307 households were severely affected and 11370 households were least affected by the earthquake according to preliminary records of DDRC [13].

Human Death & Injuries
According to DDRC record [13], 35 people were death. Among them, 15 people were death in this district and 19 people were death in out of district. In total (34), 23 death people were female and 11 death people were male. Two hundred people were severely injured by the earthquake in the Sindhuli district [13] (Table 6). Open Journal of Earthquake Research

Livestock Death & Injuries
The DDRC of Sindhuli had recorded the livestock death and injuries. According to Table 7, two hundred ninety one Chaupaya (four footed animals-Ruminents) were deaths in total. Out of the total injuries (31), 28 Chaupaya were severely injuries and 3 Chaupaya were slightly injuries. The total death of Dopaya (two legged-Aves) were 4865 [13].

Part II-Qualitative Information
Second part deals about the first-hand information generated from the three FGDs and one KII in the below. At the time of focus group discussion, mothers' group were gather for the preparation of marriage ceremony in Chautari, near to settlement, Dadagaun but they were not happy, feeling helpless and hopeless, and fearing from earthquake. When we reached there and they asked us horribly, Sir today earthquake will come, is it true (ho ra sir)? We were also surprise and we also questioned them, why and how did you know? They said today is Saturday and 12th date of the month, happened the earthquake in the same date and day in Baisakha (name of the Nepali month), so we are fear and depressed by earthquake. They added that today is our festival Janaipurnima "Rakchabandan" we did not celebrate the "Rakchhabadan" also. Because Our Guru did not come here, she said. "Our village is very risky place and earthquake prone area", Guru says. It showed that the earthquake rumors were highly prevalent in this area.
There was found two elderly women death and hundred percent houses were completely damaged by the earthquake. We continued our discussion and diverted them on rescue and relief package. They said we all got NRs 15000 from the government to make temporary shelter and death family got NRs 140000 too. They say, "All people utilized this money for shelter making especially to buy Zinc plate". The police force presented for support within 3 hours after earthquake. The police and army had supported to remove damage houses and to clean debris as well as shelter making, they said.

Conclusions and Recommendations
About fifty percent houses were completely damaged by the earthquake in Sindhuli. Thirty five people were death in and out of the district during the earthquake period. Female death was higher than male among them. Moreover, maximum people were facing injuries. The livestock death and injuries were also found. Women and children, adolescent girls, elderly people and persons with disabilities were more suffered and vulnerable than others. The screening survey found that the earthquakes have unevenly affected the age, gender, poorer, rural locations relative to the urban and less poor areas. It also found that women and children have comparatively fallen victim to anxiety, trauma, depression, feeling helpless, loss of interest (passive) and irrational fear. Children did not go to school because they felt helpless. The rumors of earthquake also found prevalent in the study area. The screening survey has recommended the following issues for large scale study purposes: • The study can be focused to assess the impact of earthquake on women, children, elderly people and person with disabilities.
• The study should be aware on nutrition, health, hygiene and sanitation issues.
• The study should be incorporated the issues of RH, abortion, miscarriage and occupational change.