By A Staff Reporter

Bhaktapur, Mar. 17: The Nepal Electricity Authority training centre in Kharipati, Bhaktapur, which has been converted into a temporary isolation facility for 175 Nepali students evacuated from Wuhan, China, has remained vacant since the students left it and is controlled by Nepali Army.
A Cabinet meeting had decided to convert the training centre into quarantine facility in the first week of February. The area has remained locked and empty after the students left for their home two weeks ago.
Director at the training centre Balaram Silwal said that the three buildings there have a capacity to accommodate 200 people. There is one VIP quarter and a seminar hall.
Earlier, students of the Environment and Engineering faculties from various colleges in the capital valley used to stay in the hostel for 10 to 15 days for their training and field study.
Out of the total 200 ropanis of land owned by the training centre, around 50 ropanis have been fenced with corrugated tin sheets where the students had been quarantined and no one is allowed to enter the premises since.
Silwal said, “The government directed us to keep the area as it is for at least three months, so we are following the government’s instructions.”
Raj Kumar Kadariya, assistant administrative officer at the training centre, said that the buildings were being used as hostels for students which generated regular income. The centre used to charge Rs. 3000 for the empty area and Rs. 250 for a bed per day. The centre has a facility to cater food to 1000 persons.
“Every year, students of some 18 to 20 civil engineering colleges used to come to the centre for their survey camp, but now all the area remains vacant, and we are losing our source of income,” Kadariya said.
Last year alone the centre had earned Rs. 7.5 million by giving the buildings and surroundings on rent.
Some 175 students stayed in the area for two weeks after they were evacuated from the epicentre of the novel coronavirus COVID-19.
There were rumours that the locals of the area had left their homes due to fear of infection after the Nepali students were brought there to keep in isolation. The locals said they were afraid as they lacked information about virus.
Now the situation in the area seems normal and people have returned to their daily activities, said local Bal Krishna Nepali.