NRA set to assess quake-damage across the country

Kathmandu, Aug 3: The National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) has been planning to assess damage caused by the devastating earthquake in April and May last year in the districts other than the affected 31.

According to the progress report of the reconstruction body made public by the outgoing Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on Thursday, the NRA is set to conclude the assessment of damaged private houses other infrastructure by September 16 this year. 

In the aftermath of the quake, the government had categorized the quake affected districts as 14 severely-affected and 17affected ones.

“The assessment will be done in collaboration with the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) and local bodies. The NRA will decide whether those districts or communities needed any facilities,” said the report.

The reconstruction body has reiterated its commitment to conclude the damage assessment of the districts in the Kathmandu Valley and other 14 affected districts by mid-September and provide the first installment of the house reconstruction grant.

According to the Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development (MoFALD), the government had signed the housing grant agreement with 289,292 families out of 533,155 households of 12 severely-affected districts till Wednesday.

However, the grant distribution has caught slow pace with just 42,882 households receiving the first installment of the housing grant.

On the other hand, 109,009 households have filed complaints at the NRA and other government agencies demanding that they should also be listed in the beneficiaries list of the quake affected families.

According to PM Oli, reconstruction of 1,379 drinking water projects out of 5,200 projects damaged by the tremors was underway.

Remaining projects are under the designing process.

“The NRA is planning to train about 30,000 masons and other construction workers on private house construction by mid-November this year. Such training will be impart by the Ministry of Urban Development, Council of Technical Education and Vocational Training (CTEVT), other training institutions and donor organizations,” said the Authority.

Similarly, the reconstruction body will establish 30 resource centres, one in each election constituency of the 11 severely hit districts other than the Kathmandu Valley.

It said that the families that are at the risk areas due to the earthquake would be relocated to safer areas by November and government would provide them required land.

The Department of Mines and Geology has recently submitted its report on relocation of the settlements to the government.

According to the working procedure of the NRA, the reconstruction of school and health infrastructure would begin before December this year while the reconstruction of Ranipokhari would be completed before Bhai Tika, second largest festival of the Hindus that is celebrated during November.

It has also said that the reconstruction body would run livelihood related programmes in the quake affected areas in collaboration with the line ministries.