By Arpana Adhikari
Kathmandu Jan. 11: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli Thursday said that the post-earthquake rescue, reconstruction and rehabilitation works in Nepal were exemplary and worth sharing with the outer world.
“The reconstruction and rehabilitation processes are progressing satisfactorily, however, the remaining work of the post-quake reconstruction and rehabilitation should be accomplished in high pace,” Prime Minister Oli said.
During a meeting of the National Reconstruction Authority Advisory Council held at the official residence of Prime Minister in Baluwatar, Prime Minister Oli, who is also the chair of the council, announced to document and institutionalise the post-earthquake reconstruction experience.
Prime Minister Oli instructed the National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) to document its experiences, knowledge and achievements acquired in the multi-dimensional aspects of reconstruction to share the knowledge with the coming generation and in the international level.
The instrcution was made in line with the NRA’s plan to organise an international conference in Kathmandu this year.
As the NRA has recently completed its four years’ tenure, the council meeting reviewed its works and concluded that they were satisfactory and asked the NRA to complete the remaining works in high speed.
PM Oli said some reconstruction process took place as an immediate relief before the formation of the NRA because relief should have been provided immediately.
The NRA was created with the main objective of restoring the physical infrastructure damaged by the massive earthquake of April 25 and May 12, 2015 and their aftershocks.
Presenting the progress report of the reconstruction body, along with its future plan, NRA Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Sushil Gyawali said reconstruction of the private houses in villages was on the verge of conclusion as 80 per cent of the private houses were either reconstructed or were being rebuilt.
Only 20 per cent are left to be rebuilt and half of them would probably never be rebuilt, he added.
The report showed that the number of total reconstruction beneficiaries in the quake-hit 32 districts reached 829,057.
Of the total beneficiaries, 68 per cent have received the third tranche of the housing reconstruction grant, 80 per cent have already received the second tranche while 99 per cent have received the first tranche.
About 530,428 families have received the third tranche of the reconstruction grant, Gyawali said.
The report further showed that 629,471 complaints of the earthquake victims were reported from the quake-hit districts, of which 568,967 were addressed.
As per the report, there was a demand for 100 integrated settlements, of which 45 integrated settlements were approved and construction of nine settlements had already been completed, said Gyawali.
Sharing the major achievements of private housing reconstruction, Gyawali said the reconstruction of the earthquake resilient houses were the basis of the construction of safe Nepal.
Referring to the reconstruction of the educational institutes, Gyawali said reconstruction of 71 per cent of the school buildings have been completed, 21 per cent are under construction and only eight per cent were left be reconstructed.
Similarly, 55 per cent of the schoolrooms were reconstructed, 26 per cent were under construction and 19 per cent were left to be constructed.
At the same time, reconstruction of 15 per cent buildings of universities and colleges were completed, 31 per cent were under construction and 54 per cent were left to be constructed.
According to the NRA’s report, reconstruction of 56 per cent of the health institutions has completed, 12 per cent are under construction and reconstruction of 32 per cent health institutions is yet to begin.
The report further showed that reconstructions of 84 per cent government buildings have completed and 14 per cent have been under construction. Gyawali said the reconstruction of the Rani Pokhari would be completed within Mid-May.
He said of the 170 heritage sites damaged in the earthquake, 101 were rebuilt, and 54 per cent heritages were under construction and reconstruction of 15 per cent sites were yet to start.
During the meeting, members of the federal parliament asked the NRA to move ahead in collaboration with local governments in its reconstruction bid in line with the Nepal’s changed context of governance system.
Former prime ministers and Nepal Communist Party leaders Jhalanath Khanal and Madhav Kumar Nepal, Nepali Congress vice president Bijaya Kumar Gachchhadar and representatives of the quake-affected districts were also present in the meeting.