The road from Anamnagar to Surya Benai and BirGorkha.

Bill Martino

Bill Martino

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Mar 5, 1999
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This is what I saw when I looked out the window of the car or taxi on my way from Anamnagar to Surya Benai and BirGorkha. Across the hills you can see the peaks of the Himalayas. Now perhaps you can understand my reluctance to leave.

I'll take you right up the path in another post after we turn off at Surya Benai.

Comments?



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Blessings from the computer shack in Reno.

Uncle Bill
Himalayan Imports Website
Khukuri FAQ
 
One thing about these and some of the other pics: my mental image of Nepal didn't have this much flat farmland on it. This doesn't look much different than California's central valley with the Sierras as a backdrop...complete with a billboard in that last pic?!?

I suspect as Uncle trickles these pictures out, we'll get a far more accuate view of the place.

Bill, am I right in thinking this is NOT an area known for earthquakes? I hope so - the multi-storey brick buildings in the background of the group photo didn't look like they'd meet San Francisco standards at all
smile.gif
.

Jim
 
Jim,

I believe these pictures are in the Kathmandu valley. Most of Nepal is indeed quite mountainous.

I had the same concerns as you. The building, and possibly its occupants, might not survive an earthquake. They're putting on a second story too.

Nepal is an area that is geologically active, and therefore earthquake prone. Two tectonic plates are in a slow speed crash, and the Himalayas are the crumple zone in front. The crash is happening as we watch. Don't blink. In a billion years it may be over.

Bill tells me there was a large earthquake in the valley back in the 60's.
 
Howard, you're right. This is one of the major roads in Nepal -- Kathmandu to Benepa.

Most of the buildings in Nepal of any type would not come close to meeting the Calif. code or any other code for that matter. And, earthquakes do come from time to time. In 1934, I think, they had a major quake in Nepal that killed a bunch of people. How many I'm not sure but they still talk about it so it must have been bad.

As Howard pointed out this is a land on the move and there is bound to be a devastating earthquake sometime in the future. I just hope not soon.

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Blessings from the computer shack in Reno.

Uncle Bill
Himalayan Imports Website
Khukuri FAQ
 
This is a real concern. An apparently authoritative assessment ( http://geohaz.org/radius/KathValley/index.html ) predicts that a repeat of the 1934 Bihar-Nepal quake (8.4 on the Richter scale) would cause 40,000 deaths, render 600,000 homeless, damage 60% of buildings in the valley beyond repair, and leave 15% of urban areas without a water supply for more than six months.
 
I've seen the buildings of Kathmandu and Nepal and I'd guess the number of those killed in a major quake would be higher than 40,000. It will be a catastrophe, for sure.

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Blessings from the computer shack in Reno.

Uncle Bill
Himalayan Imports Website
Khukuri FAQ
 
Here's one contrast that always fascinated me.
The Armenia earthquake in 1988 killed 25,000
people. The Northern California quake the next year was measured at virtually the same Richter magnitude (about 7.0) and killed 70,
in an area with probably many more people around.
I say "probably" because most of the losses in Armenia were also in urban areas; the people who were killed were largely in Soviet high-rise apartments. My uncle works in construction and many years later, a coworker from the former USSR told him this: the high-rises in Armenia were *supposed* to be steel reinforced, in which case many of them wouldn't have collapsed -- but the steel had been "diverted". Sort of like Turkey last year.

It all comes down to how things are run!
Uncle Bill: do you know if anyone in Nepal has a plan for how some of the buildings should be upgraded?
 
Thanks for the reference, Berkley. It is quite sobering.

I was wrong about an earthquake in the 60's. It was in 1934. My memory just recorded many years ago, and the 60's were many years ago. I think I need to install a new logic coprocessor.

Bill, do you think it is feasible to somewhat mitigate the danger in the shop by building a few tables meant to withstand a "ton of bricks," and having occasional "duck and cover" drills?

Johnniet, Berkley's reference above implies that there is no real plan for upgrades, but that they are hoping and praying to upgrade at least a few of the schools.
 
Johnniet, no plans that I know of -- proper construction costs considerably more than the no rebar, mud cement, often used in Nepal. They don't have the money to do the job right -- same story in many countries where earthquakes do great harm.

Howard, I didn't know about the 1934 earthquate in Nepal until I lived there in the early 80's. It was a bad one for sure and another is bound to come.

BirGorkha is owned by a Newari fellow who lives in Surya Benai. I met him and he is nice enough but he will never spend the money to make the building right. Our only hope and advantage is there are two doors and the men can get out in perhaps two or three seconds. But the downside is the sauji is putting up the second floor -- kami quarters -- and may put up a third!

------------------
Blessings from the computer shack in Reno.

Uncle Bill
Himalayan Imports Website
Khukuri FAQ
 
If the shop is in a 2-storey brick building in earthquake country, the best idea is to keep the paths to the doorways WIDE open for instant exit. If there's windows big enough to dive out of, keep 'em open as much as weather permits.

I'm real serious about this. Pala, Bura and Gelbu need to enforce policies of "keep escape routes totally clear". It doesn't even cost anything.

Jim
 
Uncle Bill, Where is Anamnagar in relation to Kathmandu?


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Harry

L'audace, toujours l'audace!!!
 
Actually, it is just a quarter of Kathmandu -- sort of like Brooklyn and NYC, as an example.

The scenes above are what your khukuris see on their way from BirGorkha to Kathmandu for shipping.

------------------
Blessings from the computer shack in Reno.

Uncle Bill
Himalayan Imports Website
Khukuri FAQ
 
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