UNSCO hails heritage reconstruction

Kathmandu, Oct. 22

UNESCO has appreciated the pace of post-quake heritage reconstruction.

The Reactive Monitoring Mission of the United Nations body that concluded its study of the monuments listed in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites and returned on Monday, appreciated the country’s efforts to complete the reconstruction of about 300 historic and cultural monuments damaged in the 2015 earthquake.

It also praised the government and the Department of Archaeology (DoA) for maintaining originality in heritage reconstruction, said Damodar Gautam, Acting Director General of the DoA.

“They expressed their happiness on the pace of heritage reconstruction and fulfilment of liability by the state,” he said.

However, the expert team expressed dissatisfaction over slow and complex bidding process and coordination between the central and local governments.

“They wanted an effective coordination among the government, trustee, local government and other local stakeholders,” said Gautam.

The UNESCO Mission led by Gamini Wijesuriya, International Export at the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Properties, has suggested maintaining the records of the heritage reconstruction as well.

The mission had also met the Chief Executive Officer of the National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) Sushil Gywali.

In the meeting, Gyawali had informed the visiting delegation that the NRA had given special attention to heritage reconstruction. He said that while the reconstruction of the cultural monuments was going on, the government was also developing a detailed Master Plan to develop them.

He also informed that the work had been expedited to develop three heritage settlements each in the Kathmandu Valley and outside.

Expressing satisfaction over the progress, Catherine Forbes of International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMAS), suggested including the progress in the DoA’s report to be sent to the World Heritage Centre in February 2020.

The mission had also recommended strengthening the capacity of the DoA in policy formulation and give more attention to the quality than the speed in heritage reconstruction.

Of the quake-damaged 140 heritages in the valley, 90 have so far been restored.

Pashupatinath Temple, Swayambhunath Stupa, Hanumandhoka Durbar, Patan Durbar, Bhaktapur Durbar, Changunarayan Temple and Bauddhanath Stupa are the Unesco World Heritage Sites in the Kathmandu Valley.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 23 October 2019.