NRA approves monastery reconstruction manual

Kathmandu, June 16: The National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) has approved a manual for the reconstruction of monasteries damaged by the devastating Gorkha Earthquake 2015.

A meeting of the NRA Executive Committee held Friday afternoon approved the Monasteries Preservation, Renovation and Reconstruction Manual, 2017. 

The approval of the manual has paved the way for the reconstruction of as many as 1,100 monasteries. It clears the prevailing confusion about the reconstruction of the ruined religious heritage sites. 

More than 1,300 monasteries were damaged by the tremors.

The manual allows for the preservation, renovation and reconstruction of the monasteries that are less than 100 years old. The older monuments will be reconstructed by the Department of Archaeology (DoA) as per the Ancient Monument Preservation Act, 1956.

According to the manual, the reconstruction of the monasteries should be in line with the Public Procurement Procedures, 2015.

In the first stage, the preservation and reconstruction plan for any monastery should be prepared by the Central Programme Implementation Unit (CPIU) of the Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development and submitted to the NRA for approval.

"The reconstruction work should be conducted depending on the economic resources, availability of the construction materials and geographical situation of the heritage," reads the manual.

Such monasteries can be constructed by the respective Consumer or Construction Committees at the local level.

It said that the Consumer Committee should bear 10 per cent of the reconstruction cost, and should manage the additional expenses required for painting, thanka writing, installation of statues and other works.

Such monasteries should be child and disabled friendly.

The manual has maintained that there would be a 5-member Monitoring and Supervisory Committee under the leadership of the chief of the CPIU.

Chief Executive Officer of the NRA Dr. Govinda Raj Pokharel expressed the hope that the manual would help expedite the reconstruction of the damaged monasteries.