Reconstruction of private houses to complete in two years

Kathmandu, Feb. 14:

Reconstruction of the private houses damaged in the devastating 2015 Gorkha Earthquake is likely to complete within two years from now – the remaining term of the National Reconstruction Authority (NRA). 


About 400,000 families have applied for the third tranche of the housing reconstruction grant Rs. 150,000 which means more than half of the private houses have been either completed or in the last stage of construction. 


Each family that lost its shelter in the quake is entitled for Rs. 300,000 government grant.

According to the statistics of the NRA as of Wednesday, 365,358 families have completed the reconstruction of their houses and 590,039 houses are under the construction phase. 


"About 558,000 families have applied for the second installation of the grant. Following the NRA's deadline announcement to claim the first and second instalments of the grant by the end of the last fiscal year, many quake-hit families initiated the house building," said the reconstruction body. 


Likewise, the NRA's decision to mobilise the local bodies in the quake affected areas to facilitate and expedite the reconstruction of the damaged private houses and other physical structure has also helped in expediting the reconstruction process. About 282 local unites are in the quake affected areas. 


In September last year, it had urged the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration to mobilise the local representatives in the quake-hit areas and an NRA Steering Committee meeting set the deadline for claiming the second and third tranches of the reconstruction grant till mid-January 2019 and mid-May 2019 respectively. 


Heritage Reconstruction


With the settlement of the disputes in the reconstruction of Dharhara, Ranipokhari and Kasthamandap, the heritage rebuilding process has also achieved  the desired momentum in the past one year. Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli recently laid the foundation stone of Dharahara, the historical monument that had been a symbol of the capital city. 


GIETC-Raman JV is rebuilding the Dharhara  in a new structure-- with 22-storey and extended setup – at a cost of Rs. 3.45 billion. 


Likewise, responsibility to reconstruct the Ranipokhari has been handed over to the NRA. Initially it was given to the Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC),but as it started to build the concrete walls, locals protested and the responsibility was given to the Department of Archaeology (DoA). 


But later another dispute erupted about the shape of the Balgopaleshwor Temple located at the centre of the historic pond. The DoA had approved the temple with dome shape, but the locals and experts demanded that the temple should be rebuilt in the original Shikhara style.  King Pratap Malla had built the pond and the temple. 


It has been decided that the temple will be built in Shikhara style. 


Similarly, the Kasthamandap Reconstruction Committee has erected major pillars of the monument located at the Basantapur Durbar Square. The Kasthamandap is believed to be constructed from the wood of a single tree. The capital city is named after it. 


NRA Roadmap


NRA Chief Executive Officer Sushil Gyawali said that the reconstruction of the private houses of the beneficiaries, who received the first instalment of the grant by the end of the last fiscal year, would be completed within this fiscal year. 


The reconstruction body has recently decided to provide the total grant to the families who completed the reconstruction of their house in the immediate aftermath of the quake, even before the formation of the NRA. 


Likewise, reconstruction of the houses for the vulnerable groups and landless people and houses in the heritage areas, and the grievance hearing will be completed before the end of the next fiscal year.

Relocation of the settlement at risks would be completed within the next fiscal year 2019/20. 


"About 25 projects of the integrated settlement would be approved within this fiscal and all reconstruction work will be concluded by the end of the next fiscal," said Gyawali. 


Similarly, the reconstruction of educational institution would achieve 70 per cent progress this year and 90 per cent will be completed next year. 


Rebuilding of health facilities, educational institutions and the government buildings will complete by 2021 November.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 15 February 2019.