Over 70% India-aided reconstructions completed following Nepal quake

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) on Friday said that over 70 per cent of 50,000 houses which are being reconstructed through Indian aid following the 2015 Nepal earthquake have been built.

A 7.8 magnitude earthquake jolted Nepal in April 2015, leaving around 9,000 people dead in its wake and flattening scores of structures, including the prominent Dharahara Tower in Kathmandu. Following this, the Indian authorities pledged about USD one billion for reconstruction in Nepal in the form of grants and lines of credit.

Out of this, USD 150 million had been allocated for reconstruction in the housing sector, USD 100 million as grants and USD 50 million was to be drawn as a line of credit.

The construction of 50,000 houses in the Nepalese districts of Gorkha (26,912 beneficiaries) and Nuwakot (23,088 beneficiaries) is being supported by India. The Indian authorities had appointed UNDP and UNOPS as the socio-technical facilitation consultants for Gorkha and Nuwakot, respectively, in March last year.

In Gorkha district, which was the epicenter of the Nepal earthquake, 70 per cent of the reconstruction has been completed, according to UNDP.

"In Gorkha district, we have been giving support to 26,912 beneficiaries as part of the India-aided project. Among them, 70 per cent of the beneficiaries have constructed their house, 20 per cent are under construction and 10 per cent are yet to be constructed," Ram Sapkota, the district coordinator for the Government of India-supported Nepal Housing Reconstruction Project Gorkha told ANI.

Similarly, a total of 18,841 beneficiaries had completed the reconstruction of their houses in Nuwakot by March-end, data provided by UNOPS outlined. The agency added that a total of 2,767 beneficiaries have ongoing constructions in the district whereas 805 beneficiaries are yet to start their reconstruction.

The Indian effort has been widely appreciated by the locals. "The Indian government has helped us in building new houses with extensive research and investigation which is being liked by many, the new system of building the new houses using wires. They came over to Nepali villages and taught us the method of construction," said Ganesh Magar, one of the beneficiaries in Gorkha district whose house is being built through Indian support.