41,311 houses rebuilt in quake-hit districts

Purna Prasad Mishra / Kathmandu, Dec 25: When there are no more than four months left for the country to observe the completion of two years of the Gorkha earthquake, the National Reconstruction Authority (NRA), the government body formed to carryout the post-earthquake reconstruction works, has said so far 41,311 houses were rebuilt in the districts affected most by the disaster, while reconstruction of 17,144 is underway.

Information about this was shared at a press meet organised to mark the completion of the one year of the formation of NRA. “Construction of personal shelter is the special priority of the NRA,” said NRA Chief Executive Officer Sushil Gyawali.

A total of 626,036 house owners (who lost their houses in the quake) of the 14 most affected districts are listed as eligible for drawing the house rebuilding grants announced by the government.

Until December 23, the NRA signed the agreement for grants assistance with 543,107 individuals while 458,592 have already received the assistance.

The survey of losses in the less affected 17 districts is in the progress. At the local level, 204,177 complaints have been registered regarding the household survey, grants assistance agreement and the distribution. The NRA has itself received 10,7000 complaints . Of the complaints registered at the NRA, 79,322 were reviewed.

Similarly, 14 earthquake-damaged heritages of archaeological importance were renovated in this period. The NRA has set the target of rebuilding over 74 heritages on which the quake inflicted damages in the current fiscal year.

Of all the quake-damaged government buildings, prefabricated structure for 32 such buildings has been carried out while reconstruction of 228 such buildings is underway.

According to the CEO Gyawali, the Authority aims to rebuild a total of 507 permanent and prefabricated government buildings in the central and district level within the current fiscal year.

Moreover, the Authority has already reconstructed 200 quake-damaged schools while reconstruction of 1,200 quake-ravaged schools is ongoing.

The Authority aims to accomplish the reconstruction and repair of a total of 2,300 quake-damaged schools by mid-October next year.

Besides rebuilding the quake-damaged schools and government buildings, the NRA is also working for reconstruction of the other physical infrastructures such as roads, hydro power and state-owned industries among others sustaining damages during the 7.6 magnitude earthquake and the aftershocks.

The government will be developing basic infrastructures to motivate the local communities in the quake-hit areas to build integrated dense settlement, according to which, 25 such settlements will be built in various 14 worst-hit districts during the current fiscal year.

Works have been forwarded in line with the Grand Master Plan formulated for the broader development of the all seven World Heritage Sites-enlisted monuments as well as the Gorkha Palace and the Nuwakot Palace in the country.

A clear framework towards the reconstruction of the quake-damaged physical infrastructures and resettlement of quake-survivors has been made on the first anniversary of the formation of the NRA.

Furthermore, the work procedure regarding the relief aid distribution amounting to Rs 300,000 to the quake-displaced households has been endorsed by the Council of Ministers, according to the Authority. RSS