By A Staff Reporter

Kathmandu, Dec. 18: The reconstruction of the Dharahara Tower has been moving ahead in a desired speed and schedule to complete two storeys of the tower within a month,
Approximately 31 per cent physical progress has been achieved around one year of reconstruction.
Raju Man Manandhar, an expert of the National Reconstruction Authority (NRA), said, “We are moving ahead the reconstruction work to complete a storey within two weeks. The project will complete by the deadline of 6th October, 2020.”
Manandhar said that works for three storied would complete within two or three days.
The GIETC-Raman JV Company is building Dharhara at a cost of Rs. 3.45 billion. There will be a 22-storied tower and extended infrastructure.
Of the total budget, around 660 million has so far been spent till the date, he informed.
The NRA has acquired around 15 ropanis of land of the General Post Office and additional three ropanis of Sundhara. Demolishing process of General Post Office has been continuing and the demolishing of Nepal Rastriya Bank’s Department of Mint will start in a few days.
According to him, the new Dharahara will be the first model structure in Nepal. The height of new Dharahara is 79.2 metres including the dome and pinnacle parts.
The 22-storied new tower will cover an area of 22 Ropani of land. Over 150 Nepalese and Indian workers have been working on the project. 
As the master plan, there will be build triple basement underground parking at the General Post Office section. The top part of third storied of underground will be develop as a park with greenery with various facilities like water fountain, stone tap, a museum.
NRA has recently planned to develop an inner route to connect Dharahara and Kathmandu Mall from the aspect of tourism, he said.
Though it was not mentioned earlier in master plan, but NRA has now planned to open inner route, he said.
Bhimsen Thapa, the first Prime Minister of modern Nepal, had built the tower in 1832. The 9-storey structure had 213 steps in its spiral staircase to the top and a balcony on the seventh storey.
About 160 people were killed when the Dharhara collapsed after the 7.9 magnitude earthquake brought the tower down. The Dharahara is also known as Bhimsen Stambha.
The remains of old Dharahara will be preserved keeping it inside a glass case after the completion of the retrofitting work.
“Our first priority is to complete the reconstruction of Dharahara. After that, the preservation work of old Dharahara will begin. Three works- old Dharahar preservation task, reconstruction work of Dharahara and Sundhara will be completed in stimulated time,” he said.