Post-quake housing reconstruction project begins in Gorkha

Gorkha –The post-quake housing reconstruction project funded by the Indian government has begun after more than one year of agreement. 

The three-year project worth $ 100 million was signed in August 2017 between Nepal and India, under which India is to provide monetary support to reconstruct 50,000 private houses in Gorkha and Nuwakot districts. 

As per the agreement that calls for the appointment of consultants to provide socio-technical facilitations for the project, the Indian embassy in Kathmandu appointed the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) for the same. 

The partnership agreements were signed between Ajay Kumar, Deputy Chief of Mission of Embassy of India, Kathmandu, on behalf of the Indian government, and Renaud Meyer, country director of the UNDP, Nepal and Sanjay Mathur, regional director of the UNOPS Asia Region. 

Under the agreements, India is to provide the total $ 16.2 million to the two UN agencies ($8.79 million to the UNDP, Nepal and $7.41 million to the UNOPS). 

The UNDP is required to provide facilitation to 26,912 house owners in Gorkha, while the UNOPS will cover 23,088 houses in Nuwakot. 

Talking to Rastriya Samachar Samiti, Bijay Sah, UNDP's Nepal Assistant Country Director said under the project, earthquake resilient new houses would be built in collaboration with local governments. 

He also urged concerned local people to complain in case of non-cooperation and dissatisfaction with the project. 
Sophia Kimkhadej, Deputy Country Director, UNDP, Nepal, said mason training would be provided to the house owners. 
Failure to implement the project in time has affected the quake-hit victims in Gorkha. 

"We are spending days and nights in tent for want of a house," said a quake victim. 

"Many quake victims are left with no options than living in makeshift tents. Some have started building their house on their own, weary of apathetic responses from concerned authorities for their rehabilitation," said Ashok Kumar Gurung, coordinator of Gorkha district coordination committee.