Nepali local govt representatives in India on exposure visit

Sixteen elected government representatives from western Nepal's Gorkha district are currently on an exposure visit to Gujarat and New Delhi as part of India's post-earthquake reconstruction efforts in the Himalayan nation.

Owner Driven Reconstruction Collaborative of India (ODRC), a United Nations Development Programme partner, is coordinating the visits to Gujarat and Delhi from November 12 to 16.

Municipality mayors, deputy mayors, ward chairs, vice-chairs of gaunpalikas are part of the Nepali delegation.

They would be briefed on the reconstruction efforts taken up after the 2001 Gujarat earthquake, focusing on the owner-driven reconstruction, according to a release by the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu.

The delegation will also interact with elected representatives from Bhuj and the Gujarat Government.

In Delhi, the delegation will interact with National Disaster Management Authority of India officials, getting a comprehensive overview of India's disaster preparedness.

The Indian Government is collaborating with Nepal for post-earthquake reconstruction of 26,912 houses in Gorkha district of Nepal.

The 2015 Nepal earthquake measuring 7.8 killed nearly 9,000 people. The epicenter of the powerful quake was in Gorkha district.