Kathmandu, Apr 5
The coronavirus pandemic has a severe
repercussion on the post-earthquake reconstruction across the country.
All the works and other activities except
for the documentation at some local bodies have come to a complete halt as the
workers and technicians have left the site before the implementation of the
lockdown amidst the looming threat of COVID-19 infection.
The National Reconstruction Authority (NRA)
said that the reconstruction of the private houses, public infrastructure and
government building had been left as they were by mid-March 2020.
According to Chief Executive Officer of the
NRA Sushil Gyawali, all the work has stopped for the last couple of weeks as
the labourers and masons moved to their home seeking safety from the virus, the
shortage of construction materials has prevented some families from continuing with
house building on their own even during the crisis.
However, information and documentation work
at the district coordination centres are going on. "Some of the engineers
and NRA staff are involved in documentation and digitalisaiton of the records
of the beneficiaries and the progress made," said Gyawali.
The reconstruction body is set to begin the
assessment of the impact of lockdown on the reconstruction. The obstruction in
the construction due to lockdown will certainly create demand for additional
time and money.
"We cannot predict the impact of the
pandemic on rebuilding now. With the extension of lockdown, there are chances
of time and cost overrun. We may not achieve the targets as we had estimated
earlier," said Gyawali.
Some of the large heritages such as
Dharhara, palaces and temples at the Kathmandu Durbar Square, Bhaktapur and
Nuwakot Durbar Squares are under construction. Work at all the sites has been
stopped. Reconstruction of Ranipokhari, Dharhara and 9-storey palace at
Kathmandu Durbar Square were witnessing good progress.
The iconic Dharhara was supposed to be
completed before coming Dashain and Ranipokhari would be ready for coming
Bhaitika. The Balgopaleshwor Temple in the middle of the Ranipokhari is visited
by the men who do not have sisters on the day of Bhaitika.
In the last four years after the formation
of the reconstruction body, about 494,044 houses damaged in the 2015 earthquake
have been rebuilt while 645,678 families have been approved for the second tranche
of Rs 300,000 housing grant.
About 550,532 households have received the
last tranche of the grant. The NRA had signed grant agreement with 781,176
families.
Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 6 April 2020.
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