Kathmandu, Nov 15: Embassy of India, in association with National Reconstruction Authority (NRA), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), organized a workshop in Kathmandu today to mark the successful completion of Government of India- funded reconstruction of 50,000 houses in Gorkha and Nuwakot.    

The programme was attended by Namgya C. Khampa, Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of India, CEO NRA Sushil Gyawali, Mayor of Palungtar municipality in Gorkha, Deputy Mayor of Bidur municipality in Nuwakot as well as representatives of National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA), several Government of Nepal agencies, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and United Nations Office of Project Services (UNOPS), European Union (EU), United States Agency for International Development (USAID), World Bank, Asian Development Bank (ADB), Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), as well as respective Municipalities and Rural Municipalities.    

During the event, Khampa announced that 50,000 private houses as committed by the Government of India have been completed with the Owner Driven Reconstruction Approach adopted by the Government of Nepal. UNDP and UNOPS were engaged by the Government of India in March 2018 to provide socio-technical facilitation and consultation (STFC) services to earthquake affected beneficiaries in four Urban Municipalities and 14 rural municipalities of Gorkha and Nuwakot.    

During the event, a workshop on the lessons learnt and the way ahead was also organized. The workshop aimed at bringing together the project’s major stakeholders to acknowledge the pivotal role played by local government and agencies of NRA in the effectiveness and successful completion of the private housing reconstruction project.    

Furthermore, the workshop also elaborated the best practices, shared key learning, and collectively discussed the effectiveness of the project to local government as guidance and for future reference.    

The government of India is also working with NRA for the construction of 71 education sector projects, 132 health buildings and restoration/retrofitting of 28 cultural heritage sites in total 11 districts of Nepal affected by the earthquake of 2015.