Retrofitting: cost-effective rebuilding | Madheshi masons rebuild houses in hills | New tech raises hope Cover: A new look Barpak in north Gorkha after the post-earthquake reconstruction. (Photo byChandraShekharKarki) Gorkha afterthepost-earthquake innorth reconstruction. Anewlook Barpak Cover: NEPAL : STRUCTURES DAMAGE GRADE AT 14 EQ AFFECTED DISTRICTS National Reconstruction Authority (NRA)
House Damage Grading by Districts: District Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 Total Bhaktapur 1,045 1,132 4,647 13,128 10,968 30,920 Dhading 4,951 7,526 15,218 26,080 35,346 89,121 CHINA ¯ Dolakha 1,353 2,993 6,520 14,409 35,364 60,639 Gorkha 4,351 8,555 15,507 22,536 27,125 78,074 Kathmandu 1,918 2,173 6,106 16,099 24,835 51,131 Kavrepalanchowk 8,330 11,726 25,130 28,974 23,859 98,019 Lalitpur 1,746 2,125 5,282 11,152 12,788 33,093 Makwanpur 32,540 21,135 18,525 10,928 7,866 90,994 Nuwakot 2,615 2,745 8,209 23,284 40,295 77,148 K a s k ii Okhaldhunga 7,961 8,605 9,220 7,946 5,620 39,352 Ramechhap 2,127 7,151 16,945 20,910 11,490 58,623 Rasuwa 277 343 782 2,064 9,178 12,644 INDIA Sindhuli 13,089 14,468 17,086 15,918 8,191 68,752 Sindhupalchowk 1,233 2,009 3,271 10,796 71,432 88,741 TOTAL 83,536 92,686 152,448 224,224 324,357 877,251 L a m jj u n g G o rr k h a Note:
This map highlights the areas by Damage Grade present in 14 most affected districts of Nepal.
R a s u w a
Ta n a h u n D h a d ii n g N u w a k o tt S ii n d h u p a ll c h o w k
D o ll a k h a
N a w a ll p a rra s ii K a tt h m a n d u S o ll u k h u m b u
B h a k tt a p u rr S a n k h u w a s a b h a
C h ii tt w a n
L a ll ii tt p u rr K a v rr e R a m e c h h a p
M a k w a n p u rr
O k h a ll d h u n g a
S ii n d h u ll ii
B h o jj p u rr K h o tt a n g
Legend
Damage Grade 1
Damage Grade 2
Damage Grade 3
Damage Grade 4 Creation Date: 26 DEC 2016; Projection: WGS 84; Map Data Source: NRA; 0 10 20 40 Web Resource: www.nra.gov.np;
Damage Grade 5 Map Doc Name: DamageGrade Datum: EVEREST 1830; Geo Data Source: DoS, MoFALD; Kilometers Feedback: [email protected] NRA update 70 % houses under construction or constructed Almost 70 per cent of the bene- beneficiaries receiving the housing not received the grant yet. ficiaries whose houses were damaged grant. NRA Chief Executive Officer by the April 2015 earthquake have In Sindhupalchowk, one of the Yuba Raj Bhusal said the decision to either started or completed the re- 14 most affected districts, 73,419 set a deadline for collecting the three construction of their houses. of the total 81,908 households instalments of the housing grant, Of the total 788,015 beneficia- have started rebuilding their houses. availability of enough technical man- ries, 720,742 have signed agreements Similarly, 64,161 of 66,387 house- power and better coordination by the with the local authorities to receive holds in Nuwakot; 59,398 of 69,658 local authorities have led to the in- the government’s private housing households in Dhading; 52,448 of crease in the number of households grant of Rs. 300,000 as of the data 58,053 in Gorkha; 52,235 of 60,230 starting the reconstruction of their available till 28 June 2018. Of the in Dolakha; 43,802 of 66,764 in houses. total beneficiaries signing the grant Kavrepalanchowk; and 38,342 of The number of households agreement, as many as 306,005 of 43,402 in Ramechhap; have started which have signed grant agreement them have started reconstructing the rebuilding process. but have yet to start reconstruction their houses while 194,731 victims The number of beneficiaries is 220,006. Likewise, the NRA is yet have already completed the recon- starting the reconstruction of their to sign the housing grant agreement struction. houses is likely to go up further with 67,273 beneficiaries. The total number of households from the next fiscal year as the NRA The government has already an- either starting or completing the will expedite the process of releas- nounced that the NRA will complete reconstruction of their houses ac- ing grants to the victims who have the private housing reconstruction counts to almost 70 per cent of the signed the grant agreement but have by the end of next fiscal year.
Private housing reconstruction progress
600000
500000
400000
300000 Number of Private Houses
200000
100000
0 June July August September October November December January February March April May June
Year 2017/18
Start Reconstruciton Applied for 2nd Tranche Approved for 2nd Tranche Applied for 3rd Tranche Approved for 3rd Tranche
Rebuilding Nepal 1 Field Report
Barpak Reviving the lost glory
2 Rebuilding Nepal As the saying goes – better late than never – the reconstruction of private houses in Barpak is in full swing. The old world charm of the village may be gone, but safer houses have been rebuilt here.
Photos: Chandra Shekhar Karki Barpak, the epicenter of the April 2015 earthquake, is getting a new look with the reconstruction in full swing.
Rajendra Gurung, 49, recalls that “I was working in the field when the cries of help from those who got tram- dreadful day when the massive earthquake whole hill began to shake. I had never pled inside their houses,” he says. More hit central Nepal three years ago on April experienced something like that before,” than half of the houses were destroyed. 25. Standing at Mandre, regarded as the says Gurung. People couldn’t even stand Rajendra was lucky to have survived center of the epicenter of the April 2015 on their feet, and neither could the cattle. the massive shake, along with his three earthquake in Barpak, Gurung shares his While the latter began to fall, people got sons and two daughters, but not every- story. Mandre has a small settlement of down to their knees with the support of one was so lucky. Seventy two people died around 60 houses just ahead of where their hands. in Barpak, now popularly known as the Barpak begins to sprawl. “I could see houses fall down, and epicenter of the historic earthquake. Its
Rebuilding Nepal 3 Mandre, a small settlement of around 60 houses just ahead of where Barpak begins to sprawl, is regarded as the center of the epicenter of April 2015 earthquake.
slate-roofs were too heavy and the layered stone walls with mud-mortar could not stand the pressure,” he said. “The villagers here are now focused on building either concrete houses with 9”X12” walls or brick walls with lightweight tin roofs.” Ganesh Ghale of ward no. 7 of Suligadh Rural Municipality, sitting next to his shop at the center of Barpak, says that those who can afford are building RCC (reinforced cement concrete) houses and others are raising brick walls with tin roofs. “You can now see who is rich and who is not,” shared Ganesh. “Before, everyone – rich and poor – used to own similar types of houses with stone walls and slate earlier popularity as a tourist hub and res- roofs. Everyone was the same.” idence of Gurkha soldiers has now been “You can now see The villagers resorted to construct- replaced by its Gorkha earthquake epicen- ing brick houses, as it was difficult to ter tag. who is rich and avail traditional stones, according to Ga- Rajendra was busy at his field, when who is not. Before, nesh. “And, more than that, the labor hundreds of other Barpakis were throng- everyone – rich and cost to build brick houses was cheaper ing to the local school playground where a than the stone houses,” he said, adding, memorial service was being organized on poor – used to own “And, stones are more expensive than the April 25 to mark the third anniversary of similar types of bricks.” the April 2015 earthquake. houses with stone “There is no doubt that Barpak has Hundreds of Barpaki men and wom- lost its identity, but the people here were en, clad in dark green checkered shawls walls and slate in a hurry to get in safe shelters,” he fur- and traditional lungi, observed a minute’s roofs. Everyone was ther shared. silence in the name of the thousands of Bhim Bahadur Ghale, sitting next to people killed in the earthquake that affect- the same.” Ganesh, feels that the government re- ed 32 districts. sponse came late in Barpak and the villag- The local host kicked off the program forced concrete remained. ers had no option than to resort to hap- by saying that Barpakis have neither been Three years on, the village known for hazard reconstruction. able to forget the devastating earthquake its brave Gurkhas has begun to rise again. As the saying goes – better late than nor do they want to remember the dread- The rebuilding process has gained mo- never – the reconstruction of private ful experience they went through. mentum. They did not even wait for the houses in Barpak is finally in full swing. Barpak in north Gorkha is known as government grant to rebuild their homes. The old world charm of the village may be the village of the Victoria Cross recipi- They were in a hurry to bring their loved gone, but safer houses have been rebuilt in ent Gaje Ghale. Situated on top of a high ones under a safe roof. their place. More than 50 percent of the hill, at an altitude of 1,900 meters (6,200 Some people in Barpak and visi- 1,400 houses have already been rebuilt, as feet), the traditional stone houses with tors feel that Barpak has lost its charm. per the data from June-end and hundreds slate roofs and stone-paved thoroughfares Though there are few remnants of the of other houses are under construction. adorned this picturesque village before the erstwhile stone and slate-roofed houses, According to Bed Acharya, the head earthquake. The visitors always appreciat- more and more people have resorted to of district coordination committee of the ed the local culture and cleanliness. building concrete structures. National Reconstruction Authority, the But the earthquake completely dev- “This has completely ruined the beau- progress of reconstruction in Barpak is astated the village. Of more than 1,400 ty of the village,” quips Phul Bahadur very satisfactory. “There are complaints houses, very few withstood the massive Ghale, who was born and brought up of not receiving the government grant,” movement under the earth on April 25. in Barpak. However, he now feels that accepts Acharya. “But, we have sent out The majority of stone houses fell to the the old stone structures were not strong the engineers at the ward level to find out ground while the few houses made of rein- enough to withstand the earthquake. “The the problems and will continue to address
4 Rebuilding Nepal Hundreds of Barpaki women, clad in dark green checkered shawls and traditional lungi, took part at a memorial service and observed a minute’s silence in the name of the thousands of people killed in the earthquake (above).
Various dignitaries, including Minister Barsha Man Pun, attended the memorial service held in Barpak on 25 April 2018 marking the third anniversary of the earthquake (right). them as and when they arise.” Bishnu Bhatta, the chairperson of Suligadh Rural Municipality, agrees with Acharya. “The reconstruction has gained momentum after the people’s representa- tives took charge following the local elec- tions,” he said. “As we have direct contact with the people, things have improved a lot.” Lack of technical knowhow and un- availability of construction materials and construction workers have made the re- There is a banking problem too. “We lost its originality. But, he said that things construction here very costly, according to don’t have a bank in Barpak, people have to change as time passes. “There was a dis- Bhatta. “There are hundreds of workers go to Gorkha bazaar,” he said. “It’s just too tinct identity of this village before, but who have come here from other districts far for Barpakis to travel to Gorkha bazaar the same traditional stone houses with and they charge hefty amounts to recon- (which is 45 kilometers away).” heavy slate roofs took many lives here,” struct houses.” Bhatta also agrees that Barpak has he says. “Even the lifestyle has changed.
Rebuilding Nepal 5 Ganesh Ghale (right) of ward no. 7 of Suligadh Rural Municipality, and Bhim Bahadur Ghale (center) shared that those who can afford are building RCC (reinforced cement concrete) houses and others are raising brick walls with tin roofs. (Left top) After earthquake devastated Barpak, people realized that RCC houses are much safer. (Left middle) Known for the traditional stone houses with slate roofs and stone-paved thoroughfares, Barpak has now got a new look of brick houses with tin roofs. (Left below)
Members of the traditional joint families living under the lamp before now have access to electricity and they need differ- ent rooms for family members.” “And, the people here have realized that the traditional houses were not strong enough to withstand the earthquake,” he further said. “They need to build safer houses too.” Though the traditional stone houses have now been resigned to history, Bhatta claims that the local government will take various measures to attract the tourists. Its geographical location is still a ma- jor attraction for tourists, feels Bhatta. “Besides, we are planning to build a view tower, a museum to highlight various as- pects of the earthquake, a park in mem- ory of those deceased, construct monas- teries and a bus park.” Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Barsha Man Pun, who was in Barpak to attend the memorial service on April 25, assured the locals that Bar- pak would become a school from where to learn safer rebuilding post-earthquake for the future generation. “The devastation caused by the earth- quake is no doubt a very sad incident,” Minister Pun said, “But, it is important to learn from the disaster and rebuild to en- sure a safer future.” Saying that people in Barpak have once again proved that they can rise to the occasion, Pun praised the people here for keeping their hopes alive. He also requested local residents to focus on building a new Barpak to attract more tourists in the future. Bir Bahadur Ghale, a local entrepre- neur who pioneered the local micro-hydro in Barpak, said that a lot needs to be done to ensure that Barpak remains one of the major tourist attractions in the country. “For this, the federal government, local governments and the local people need to work together,” he said.
By Kosmos Biswokarma in Barpak
6 Rebuilding Nepal From The Partners
Shekhar Prasad Timilsina in front of his house that is in the process of being retrofitted. Photos: Build Change Retrofitting Innovative, safe and easy on the pocket With government approval, Build Change is now engaged in training 2,000 government engineers and 12,000 masons in retrofitting over the next two years.
Shekhar Prasad Timilsina, 69, is a damaged Shekhar’s house, which he built they had no other option. As a farmer resident of Thulachaur, Bethanchowk-2 with a lot of hard work and passion. with limited income, Shekhar could not of Kavrepalanchowk district and lives While many of his fellow villagers even think of rebuilding another house with his wife, two sons, daughter-in-laws opted to rebuild their houses, Shekhar’s for his large family. and four grandchildren. family was forced to live in the same “It does not make you feel good if The earthquake of April 2015 badly house under dangerous conditions, as you have to demolish the house you
Rebuilding Nepal 7 From The Partners fact file
Retrofitting
Retrofitting is an innovative and cost-effective method of seismical- ly strengthening existing houses by strengthening structural elements and stabilizing the current structure, making them earthquake resistant. It allows homeowners to return rap- idly to their seismically strengthened home and to renew their agrarian lifestyle. This is especially important in rural villages where houses are both a home and a farm. Nepali rural houses usually consist of a barn, a granary and a home, all in one. Retrofitting a rural house not only protects families and their livestock from the impact of future earthquake damages, but also enables families to return to their pre-earth- quake level of economic productivi- Build Change technicians at work. ty, thus restoring livelihoods. have built with hard work and passion,” he shared. “So, we had been looking for sustainable and cost-effective ways to The NRA approved Padam is learning the skills and tech- make the existing house safer and earth- the retrofitting type niques required to build earthquake re- quake resistant.” design submitted sistant and safer houses through retro- When Build Change started retro- fitting. Furthermore, Padam is now able fitting houses in Bethanchowk, Shekhar by Build Change to transfer his skills to other community and his family were very happy to start for stone masonry members. retrofitting their present house. Their buildings in mud- Padam is just one of the thousands two-story house is currently under the of masons who is part of this train- process of being retrofitted and half of mortar on June ing on retrofitting provided by Build the work has already been completed. 4, 2017, after a Change. Shekhar is very happy with the thorough review The National Reconstruction Au- steady progress of the retrofitting pro- thority (NRA) approved the retrofit- cess. “With the use of technology, the by the Technical ting type design submitted by Build drawings and cost and labor estimates Committee. Change for stone masonry buildings were extracted in a short period of time, in mud-mortar on June 4, 2017, after a which further makes it time and cost-ef- thorough review by the Technical Com- fective,” he said. whose houses are not completely dam- mittee, including representatives from Altogether nine local builders have aged. the Ministry of Urban Development been provided with the competen- Padam Lal Shrestha, 31, of the same (MoUD) and leading Nepali structural cy-based trainings on retrofitting. village agrees with Shekhar. He lives engineering experts. “I am very happy that we are final- with his wife, two children and parents. With government approval, Build ly getting to live in a safe, spacious and Padam used to work in Kathmandu Change is now engaged in training 2,000 earthquake resistant house,” he said. as a mason before joining Build Change government engineers and 12,000 ma- “Furthermore, it is cost-effective, saves as a Builder Trainer. With his exception- sons in retrofitting over the next two time and requires less labor.” al willingness and ability to learn, he has years with support from the United Na- While waiting to shift to their retro- been working on retrofit sites in Syanja, tions Office for Project Services (UN- fitted house, Shekhar recommends other Nuwakot, Kavrepalanchowk and Sindh- OPS) and the Department for Interna- villagers to adopt the same technology upalchowk leading various projects. tional Development (DFID).
8 Rebuilding Nepal From The Partners Saved by retrofitting Yam’s two and a half story, stone and mud-mortar house with 105 square meters of living space was retrofitted in approximately 45 days for a total cost of Rs. 350,000.
Yam Parajuli in front of his recently retrofitted house in Syangja.
Yam Parajuli’s home in Putaliba- retrofitting, I was convinced, and there- zar, Syanja district was damaged in the fore agreed to retrofit my house.” April 2015 earthquake, making it unsafe Yam arranged and sourced all of the to live in. Despite the unsafe condition construction materials and labor him- that his house was in, and left with no self, and was actively involved in the ret- suitable alternative, Yam and his family rofitting process. had to return to living in it. “We could “If we demolished our house, and neither afford to build a new house nor started from scratch in the hope of had any idea about making our existing getting the government subsidy of Rs. house safer,” he said. 300,000, it would have cost us Rs. 1.5 After attending an orientation pro- to two million to build a new house,” Yam’s house before (top) and after retrofitting. gram run by Build Change in collabo- shared Yam. “Whereas by retrofitting es in Putalibazar of Syangja district. After ration with local entrepreneur Man- my house, we were able to build a saf- seeing the progress of Yam’s house, more agerial and Technology Consultancy er and stronger house at a much lower and more homeowners are now showing Center (MTCC), Yam decided that the cost, greatly reducing our financial bur- interest in retrofitting their houses. best solution for him and his family was den.” As Build Change continues to scale to retrofit their damaged house. When Yam’s two and a half story, stone up retrofitting in rural Nepal, one of asked about his decision, Yam said, “In and mud-mortar house with 105 square the organization’s goals is to foster local the beginning, I was doubtful about meters of living space was retrofitted in entrepreneurship by introducing retro- how my house could be made more approximately 45 days for a total cost of fitting as a business and income gener- earthquake-resistant without demolish- Rs. 350,000. ation opportunity for local builders and ing and rebuilding it. However, when Build Change partnered with private engineers through partnership with pri- the technical team from Build Change sector entrepreneur MTCC to provide vate enterprises and local communities. explained how this was possible through technical assistance on retrofitting hous- Build Change
Rebuilding Nepal 9 From The Partners Inspiring young mason Dipak has already renovated eight old and built 10 new earthquake-resilient houses. The villagers are so impressed by his work that everybody wants Dipak to build their homes.
After taking the mason training in December 2015, Dipak Charmakar has been in demand to reconstruct houses damaged by the earthquake in April 2015. Photos: Helvetas At the young age of 24, Dipak Charma- He no more tags along with his father in the construction sector. “I do not want kar of Champadevi Gaunpalika-3 of Okha- and instead works on his own. He has al- to engage in formal education anymore but ldhunga has become an inspiration for his ready renovated eight old and built 10 new instead excel in this sector, as I see a future fellow villagers. earthquake-resilient houses. The villagers are bright for myself working as a mason and Dipak has never hesitated to build on his so impressed by his work that he is in high being a trainer in the days to come,” he said. skillset. He used to work as a carpenter and demand and everybody wants Dipak to build Dipak has also worked as a communi- sometimes as an electrician before he took their houses. The combination of skills in ty supervisor with the Employment Fund/ the 50-day mason training provided by Jhapa wiring and electrification, carpentry and his Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation Nepal for Technical Institute, a partner of Employ- newly acquired masonry skills means that he two months. As a community supervisor, he ment Fund/ Helvetas Swiss Intercoopera- is able to offer a comprehensive home-build- assisted the community in taking photos of tion Nepal, funded by the Swiss Agency for ing package, giving him an added advantage the progressive levels of their house recon- Development and Cooperation. to his counterparts. struction process and linked the community After taking the mason training in De- “The training has helped me to learn members with the project’s technical team in cember 2015, Dipak has been in demand to new technologies around building earth- case assistance was required. reconstruct houses damaged by the earth- quake-resilient houses and has also increased Had he not taken the training, he would quake in April 2015. In fact, with his new my earnings,” says Dipak. “It has also pro- have still been working as an unskilled ma- building skills, he hardly gets a day off. vided skills training to unemployed youth in son and earning much less than what he does In the past, Dipak had also taken a six- our village and made them independent.” now. month furniture making training offered Dipak is now taking contracts to build “The training has not only given me in Kathmandu and had his own furniture whole houses and even provides employ- skills and increased my wages, but it has also factory. But he was always more interested ment to others. “This was a dream for me. helped me realize my dreams of becoming in masonry. When he was younger, he used I am very happy that I am now working as a a contractor,” he said, confidently. “It also to follow his father, who is also a mason, to contractor,” he said. motivated me to learn more and to do better build houses around his community. But as He also wants to take further trainings in this sector.” he lacked professional skills, Dipak earned a up to level III and become a trainer him- “Now, I am happy that I am not only mere Rs. 600 a day. Now with more skill and self. Even though he has passed the SLC building normal houses but safer and earth- training, Dipak earns an average of Rs. 1,500 examination, he is not interested in further quake-resilient ones that bring smiles to the a day, more than double his prior income. studies as he already sees scope for growth faces of my fellow villagers.”
10 Rebuilding Nepal From The Partners Facing challenges to succeed After the house was completed, everybody started praising Yashodha’s work. The rest is now history, as she has been receiving many offers to build houses in her community.
Thirty five-year-old Yashodha Phuyal of Ward no. 5 in Molung Rural Municipal- ity, Okhaldhunga, has been working as a highly demanded mason in her communi- ty for the last 10 months. She is proud of her accomplishments thus far: six earth- quake-resilient houses. Yashodha received the 50-day onsite mason training provided by the Employ- ment Fund/Helvetas Swiss Intercooper- ation Nepal. She is now able to support her family of four children (two daughters, two sons), husband and a mother-in-law with her sole income. Yashodha became a mother of four at a very young age, propelling her to seek training so as to provide for her family. She started with training on producing handi- crafts but was quickly deterred from con- tinuing upon realizing that her products weren’t selling. After the earthquake, with added fi- nancial burdens piling up and the need to Yashodha Phuyal of Okhaldhunga is busy as a skilled mason after aquiring due technical skills. reconstruct everything from the ground up in her community, she decided to be- tunities to other women who have also re- come proactive and took part in a mason Yashodha now ceived training. training being offered nearby. She has taken adult literacy classes and “My decision to take the training earns Rs. 1,000 a has acquired basic reading and writing changed my life as there was a need for day and manages skills. “I didn’t have the opportunity to skilled masons in the community,” she to work for 20 to study due to poverty but I want my chil- shared. “I am happy that I am able to con- dren to study and excel in the future. This tribute in the rebuilding process.” 25 days in a month is why I am working hard as a mason for Yashodha now earns Rs. 1,000 a day with support from their better future,” said Yashodha. and manages to work for 20 to 25 days in a her family. Yashodha’s husband is supportive and month with support from her family. helps her in looking after the cattle and However, Yashodha’s journey has doing household chores when she goes to been fraught with challenges. After com- her to seek work as a bona fide mason. Fi- work. “I am happy that my husband and pleting the mason training, she wanted to nally, another one of her brother-in-law’s my mother-in-law help me with all house- start working on building her own broth- gave her the opportunity to build his house hold activities due to which I have been ers-in-law’s houses as they were still living along with other trained male masons - but able to help my community build back bet- in makeshift tents. But, her brother-in-law decided she need not be paid. Desperate to ter and safer,” Yashodha said happily. did not trust her. She tried to convince him prove herself to the community, Yashodha With funding support from the Swiss to no avail at first. Yashodha was com- agreed to work for free. Agency of Development and Cooperation pelled to bring in other men whom she had After Yashodha’s brother-in-law’s (SDC) and the Department for Interna- trained with to construct one of her broth- house was complete, she began to receive tional Development (DFID), the Em- er-in-law’s house and while she worked as a a lot of praise for her work and, as they ployment Fund/Helvetas Swiss Interco- helper on the project. say, the rest is now history. She has been operation Nepal has trained around 1,200 Yashodha was breaking stones to make receiving many offers to build houses in masons in the district of which 265 are concrete, unable to use her newly-gained her community and now works as the main women. skills, until her fellow villagers encouraged mason and provides employment oppor- Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation
Rebuilding Nepal 11 from the partners
Photos: NSET-Baliyo Ghar Aalampu: the quake-resilient village Almost all the residents of Aalampu in Dolakha have now rebuilt earth- quake-resilient houses. Aalampu is one of the villages in of Purna Thami. His wife Sukhamaya two years.” Ward no. 6 of Bigu Rural Municipality, Thami, along with her fellow villagers, Not only Purna, but almost all the Dolakha which earlier was a single VDC was in the kitchen garden picking vege- residents of Aalampu have now rebuilt in itself. The village is an integrated set- tables. Their only son has gone to France earthquake-resilient houses. They had tlement, as one can see its whole land- to study and Sukhmaya and Purna have no knowledge about earthquake-resilient scape glued to the chest of an inclined already married off their two daughters. houses for a long period of time after hill. After two years of struggle in a tem- the earthquake, and hardly had any idea Almost 600 houses were destroyed porary shelter, Purna’s family shifted to about how to go about receiving the gov- by the April 2015 earthquake and for an earthquake-resilient house. ernment’s private housing grant. two years temporary shelters made with “We are finally back to our normal However, their confusion ended zinc sheets dominated the beauty of this ways,” visibly-happy Purna shared. “We when the Baliyo Ghar Program reached hill station. But now the scenario has have passed so many dark days and out to them and began to teach them changed. nights. We remained under the plastic how to build earthquake-resilient houses. On the lap of the hill lies the house tunnel built for vegetation for more than “After a group from Baliyo Ghar
12 Rebuilding Nepal from the partners came to our doors, we came to know about the process to receive the government grants,” shared Shanti Thami Life changing skills of the village. “And, we came to know about earthquake-re- Armed with the necessary skills, Doma is now building silient houses after the mason houses. She not only works as a mason but also leads other training.” masons in the rebuilding process. Purna now feels that building earthquake-resilient Doma Sherpa is one of the few young the necessary skills, Doma can now be seen houses is not a big deal when women in Khartal, a village in Bigu Rural in the field working on building houses. She you involve trained masons. Municipality-5 of Chilankha, Dolakha, who not only works as a mason but also leads The villagers began to rebuild remains unmarried at the age of 23. None other masons in the rebuilding process. their houses after the first ma- of her friends are still living in their fathers’ son training began at the end house. Dual responsibility of 2016. Though early marriage is common in Despite being a skilled worker, Doma continues to fulfil dual responsibilities – at home and outside. When the Baliyo Ghar team reached her house in December 2017, Doma was busy rebuilding her own house, with assistance from four other masons – two of them trained. Not only has Baliyo Ghar’s training pro- gram provided Doma the opportunity to own her living, it has also boosted her con- fidence. “I hardly used to speak to strangers before,” said Doma. “But, after taking part in the training, I have now learnt to speak.” She is however compelled to take on chores apart from mason work. For exam- ple, she cooks for her co-workers involved in housing reconstruction. “My mother and other members of my family are busy harvesting millet,” Doma said. “So, I have to both cook for everyone and work at the site too.” Doma Sherpa now helps others in the reconstruction. Doma and her family had no idea about rebuilding an earthquake-resistant house, He also understands that her village, Doma has been committed to forcing them to live in a makeshift shelter the government grant of Rs. marry only after she becomes self-suffi- for two years. “We could not rebuild our 300,000 has been provided cient. She lost her father seven years ago house due to lack of proper knowledge,” to encourage the villagers and her mother remains busy working on she said. “I took the initiative to rebuild it to build earthquake-resilient the fields and doing household chores. after receiving the on-the-job training.” houses. “If you have a trained The devastating earthquake in April The training provided in April 2017 mason, the cost of building 2015 flattened her house and since then developed six new masons in Khartal and an earthquake-resilient house Doma has always been looking to under- now they all are contributing in their own is not too costly.” stand how to prevent destruction during ways to rebuilding the village. Out of 597 houses that such a violent shake. She now has the an- Doma’s mother Chyangbuti Sherpa, 52, collapsed in Aalampu, 320 swers. After attending the 50-day on-the- is proud to have found a trained mason at houses have been built and job training provided by the Baliyo Ghar home. “We did not dare to start rebuild- more than 100 houses are be- project in April 2017, Doma now knows ing our house, as we did not have any idea ing built, as of end of April how to build an earthquake-resistant house, about earthquake-resistant houses,” she 2018. as she has become a trained mason. said. “But after the training and with our The construction sector had been a own daughter as a trained mason, we gained By Ram Krishna Sharma, male domain until now. But, armed with the confidence to rebuild our house.” NSET-Baliyo Ghar
Rebuilding Nepal 13 from the partners
Photos: Practical Action Cutting through conformity After providing her stone-cutting services to the model house project, Chewang Gyalmo Ghale’s demand is growing in her neighborhood.
In the freezing windy conditions of the tion. They have been living in a leaky tem- ting machines as part of the organization’s remote hilly area of Goljung in Rasuwa, it porary shelter with a tin roof and wooden objective to promote simple technologies is a remarkable sight to see a woman oper- planks for walls. With a two-year-old son through local enterprise to help reduce the ating a stone-cutting machine at a construc- Nima Chewang Tamang, and the elder one, cost of building houses. tion site. Chewang Gyalmo Ghale has new- Nima Norbu Tamang, 7, starting primary A majority of the people in the north- ly acquired a stone-cutting machine and is schooling next year, an alternative source ern remote hills prefer to build stone hous- beginning to put it to good use. of income was a must. es as bricks are inaccessible and, in many Ghale and her husband are subsistence Just then, Chewang came across the cases, unaffordable. The stone cutting ma- farmers. With occasional jobs as porters opportunity to invest in the stone-cutting chine will help reduce the cost of building during the trekking season and labor work machine. She was attending an awareness a house by 30% as the labor cost to prepare they can find, they have no other source of program organized by Practical Action on corner stones and through stones, now income. They eat what they can produce the Demand Aggregation model, a model mandatory in stone masonry houses, is in their six ropanis of land and save from that seeks to help earthquake-affected peo- very expensive and time consuming. Man- what they make from their temporary jobs. ple, especially of the rural hilly areas, pro- ual labor can produce up to a maximum of They are just about scraping by. cure quality construction materials at rates seven corner stones in a day while a stone For the Ghales, rebuilding their earth- lower than the market. The program was cutting machine can produce up to 70 cor- quake-ravished house was out of the ques- also promoting investments in stone cut- ner stones per day.
14 Rebuilding Nepal from the partners
Chewang Gyalmo Ghale has newly acquired a stone-cutting machine and is beginning to put it to good use (left).
“I was told about the machine. How it’s used for cutting stone and how it could be profitable. That’s when I decided to invest in it,” said Ghale with a smile. This was a lucrative deal. She had to invest Rs. 100,000, 40% of the total cost of the machine. The rest would be cov- ered by the organization. This could turn out to become a steady source of income for Ghale. And why not? Many people in her village and the surrounding rural areas predominantly want to rebuild their houses with stones. But it wasn’t as easy as she thought. Women doing a “man’s job” is commonly frowned upon and choosing a non-tradi- tional path is always challenging. Cutting stones was easy; it was cutting through conformity that was the difficult part. “My neighbors and relatives said it wasn’t a job for women. Everyone thought it was not a wise idea to invest in the machine. But lot of people need to rebuild their houses and Technology restores Nyangmo’s hope I think I can make profit from this invest- ment,” said Ghale. When a landslide swept away lived in a temporary tin and bamboo Chewang Ghale has never backed Nyangmo Lamini’s home in the small shelter, vulnerable to the cold and the down from a challenge. At the age of 27, settlement of Ramche in Rasuwa dis- rain. she has enrolled in Shree Parwati Kunda trict, she and her family moved to When a new Compressed Sta- Uchcha Madhyamik Bidhyalaya for her Karmi Danda to try to restart her life. bilized Earth Block (CSEB) facto- higher education ten years after she com- Soon afterwards, tragedy struck ry opened in Karmi Danda village, pleted her School Leaving Certificate. again as Nyangmo lost her husband to Nyangmo felt her hopes rise. CSEBs Now, as the challenge – and opportunity -- heart disease. Determined to provide are cheaper than fired bricks, and re- arises to provide a better life for her family, for her children, she poured her ef- quire less mortar and labor for con- she has risen to the occasion and invested forts into finishing the second house struction. in the stone-cutting machine. she had started with her late husband, When Nyangmo talked to staff Funded by UKAID, the new machine only to see it destroyed during the from the UKAID-funded project is more mobile and is operational through a April 2015 earthquake. setting up the factory and explained single phase electric line. Ghale, after receiv- For Nyangmo, now a single moth- why she was interested in using this ing technical support and training on oper- er of five children, recovering from technology to try to rebuild, she was ating the machine, has now started to pro- this third tragedy was nearly impos- offered a chance to have her home be vide her services in and around her neigh- sible. With young children to care a CSEB “model house”. The project boring areas. She transports the machine for and all her financial resources supported the labor costs for build- to construction sites where she can cut the exhausted, rebuilding did not seem ing, and now Nyangmo’s home serves stones at the site itself. She charges Rs. 1,000 to be an option. Her family did not as an example for other people to as labor charge for cutting the stones and have strong adult members for the come and visit if they are considering Rs.1,500 for the use of the machine. hard physical labor of collecting and building with CSEBs. After providing stone-cutting services preparing rock to make stone mason- Sitting on the porch of her new to the Practical Action-supported mod- ry buildings like some of her neigh- home, Nyangmo reflects on helpless- el house in her village, Ghale has already bours, and she also did not have any ness she felt just a few months ago started to receive demands for services money to buy bricks and cement to when she thought about rebuilding, from fellow villagers. She is now building build a brick structure. and the newfound security that comes her own house with stones cut by herself. For over two years after the earth- with having solid walls and a roof quake, Nyangmo and her children over her children every night. Practical Action
Rebuilding Nepal 15 Fact file
16 Rebuilding Nepal Fact file
3,636
106 330
643(312/331) 145(51/94)
Graphics: Rabin Sayami
Rebuilding Nepal 17 opinion view Reviewing the method of shelter reconstruction Although there is a possibility for about 80 percent of the earthquake beneficiaries to un- dertake reconstruction through the self-construction method of shelter reconstruction after a natural disaster, it has become essential to use other miscellaneous procedures for the remaining 20 percent.
Dr. Chandra Bahadur Shrestha due to its multiple positive aspects it has made a widespread practice. There are become a universally-accepted approach many reasons behind the fact that more The National with regards to reconstruction after natu- than 83 percent of the beneficiaries have Reconstruction ral calamities. Based on this approach, re- not been able to conclude reconstruction Authority has construction was carried out in the after- of houses damaged due to the quake of been prioritiz- math of the Gujarat earthquake in India, 2015 in Nepal up until now. ing the rapid re- the Bam earthquake of Iran in 2003, and For example, there is no doubt that the construction of the Pakistan earthquake of 2005. After method of self-construction is not useful damaged private the Tsunami of 2004, even Thailand ad- for those disabled and people who are not residences, which opted this method of reconstruction. As capable, who make up more than 18,000 were damaged by a continuity to this method, Nepal too ad- in number of the beneficiaries in Nepal. the earthquake opted the approach after the earthquake Likewise, it is clear enough that this of April 25, 2015 of 2015. method will not work for those beneficia- and the subsequent after-shocks, through There are various positive aspects ries who are not able to establish owner- the method of self-construction. of this self-reconstruction method. This ship on the land where the house is to be Accordingly, the situation is such that method of constructing houses by the constructed. This type of beneficiary also out of the 767,705 beneficiaries 129,455 people themselves is based on a natural exist in excess of thousands in number had already received the third instalment here in Nepal. by May 28, 2018, which accounts to 17% Another type of beneficiary that re- of the total beneficiary population. The This method of side in urban areas, who have damaged Government of Nepal has adopted a constructing houses houses on their ancestral property, tend strategy to complete the reconstruction to take the grant provided by the State in of private shelters by the upcoming fiscal by the people lieu of that old house with no intention year. As such, since the NRA has entered themselves is of building a new house. Usually, they the latter days of its tenure, it is necessary based on a natural have other acquired property elsewhere. now to analyze if the present policy is ap- Another is the group of beneficiaries propriate so that future guidelines can be principle in a way. who are residing in the inner urban areas created. but due to the lack of collateral evaluation The international trends for recon- and ability to pay back the principal and struction of private shelters is broadly principle in a way. The home owner feels interest they are deprived of loans from defined by three methods: self, commu- a sense of ownership through this meth- the banks. The situation is also such that nity-based and reconstruction through od, and willingness to repair and maintain there is a hindrance for this group of peo- contractors. The idea of self-reconstruc- the houses also is enhanced. Research has ple to build a house on the inner city land tion, in fact, came into existence in 1960 shown that the level of satisfaction of due to the various standards of the city. after the Peru earthquake. But the task the beneficiary after the construction of For these groups of people too, the meth- of reconstruction was largely complet- the house is also high. It can be guessed od of self-construction is failing. ed by contractors under State or donor that their level of satisfaction happens to It is evident now that although the agencies. After the earthquake of Laturin increase because the beneficiaries build concept of self-construction is positive India, a wave of self-reconstruction re- their houses as per their wish. Since the in itself, it cannot be thoroughly imple- surfaced and really took pace after the technology used to construct houses in mented. In this course, the National Re- Gujarat earthquake of 2000. this method also reaches the remote and construction Authority has come forward Along with self-construction financial rural areas, the chances for future con- with a special package (program) for the support, technical support and supervi- struction to be earthquake resistant is also ones who are not capable, are disabled sion also were encompassed within this higher. and helpless. However, the NRA cannot approach (vision-method). Currently this Despite these various positive aspects, address all of the issues on its own. For approach is advocated by World Bank there is doubt if the method of self-re- example, it appears that the solution for and other international organizations and construction is replicable and can be reconstruction that has not been possi-
18 Rebuilding Nepal Lessons learnt from private housing reconstruction After two and a half years, the NRA has gained valuable lessons in post-disaster reconstruction and recovery, which will be useful for future planning.
Manohar Ghimire ferred directly to the beneficiaries. Be- private housing grant. For example, the sides, the vulnerable villages situated in beneficiaries should be made well aware The gov- hazardous locations are being relocated; that they cannot receive the grant with- ernment of integrated settlement approach has been out complying with the government’s Nepal estab- introduced; and efforts have also been building codes. lished the converged towards preserving and im- Another key lesson learnt is that the National Re- proving the cultural and historical sites. official processes involved in transferring construction The NRA has also made sure that grant to the beneficiaries should be sim- Authority on the reconstructed infrastructures com- plified and appropriate measures should 25 December ply with building codes and disaster risk be taken to ensure that the beneficiaries 2015, with a reduction measures are taken to ensure do not build uninhabitable houses just to legal man- resilient reconstruction. Apart from the receive the grant. Houses that pose risk date to lead private housing reconstruction and in- should be demolished. and manage reconstruction activities in frastructures, the NRA has also been Similarly, effective and efficient coor- 32 districts, affected by the April 2015 organizing and coordinating various dination should be facilitated in the activ- earthquake. The institution envisions the livelihood support programs, capacity ities of I/NGO’s to minimize redundan- “establishment of well-planned, resilient building trainings and have focused on cy and streamline reconstruction efforts settlements and a prosperous society.” ensuring social inclusion, and environ- towards achieving the common goals of Since the past two and a half years, mental and social safeguards. Further, NRA. For this, an efficient monitoring the NRA has been leading and coordi- the NRA has also been coordinating and and evaluation system should be estab- nating multi-hazard resilient reconstruc- managing partnerships with various de- lished. tion, retrofitting and restoration of dam- velopment partners. Moreover, the NRA should have aged infrastructures and houses, as per After two and a half years of its es- a compact and robust organizational the Sendai Framework that recognizes tablishment, the NRA has gained valu- structure and stability must also be en- the post-disaster reconstruction as an able lessons in post-disaster reconstruc- sured in the institutional setup at the opportunity to build back better. It is tion and recovery, which will be useful local level. For this too, a proactive and identifying appropriate sites to resettle for future planning. effective method should be employed to displaced communities, building resilient For example, we have experienced retain technical manpower at the local communities and developing opportuni- that the damage assessment survey level. ties for economic growth. should be conducted using reliable and And lastly, it is necessary to provide The NRA has undertaken various scientific tools to ensure that no victims subsidies on construction material to the initiatives that has facilitated or cata- are left in the reconstruction process. earthquake victims, conduct research lyzed the reconstruction process with Mass awareness should be created activities on disasters and establish re- effective results. Nepal’s post-earthquake on building quake-resilient structures source centers at the local level. reconstruction is an example in itself as and the beneficiaries should be effective- it’s an owner-driven process in which ly communicated about the terms and (Ghimire is Under Secretary and Deputy the government housing grant is trans- conditions to receive the government’s Spokesperson of the National Reconstruction Authority) ble due to the reason of land ownership As for the shelter construction of the of shelter reconstruction after a natural should be initiated by other appropriate middle-class beneficiaries of the inner ar- disaster, it has become essential to use entities of the Government of Nepal eas of the Kathmandu Valley and other other miscellaneous procedures for the rather than by the NRA. old cities, there is the necessity for the remaining 20 percent. This fact must be The task of recovering the amount al- Ministry of Urban Development and the considered when formulating policy and ready released by the NRA to some ben- locally-elected officials to engage with the legislation for future disasters that may be eficiaries, who had other houses besides communities that reside there. in store such that more effective and swift the one that got damaged in the earth- Although there is a possibility for reconstruction can take place. quake, is being actively undertaken. For about 80 percent of the earthquake ben- this, the NRA should receive constructive eficiaries to undertake reconstruction (Shrestha is Executive Member of the National assistance from the political leadership. through the self-construction method Reconstruction Authority)
Rebuilding Nepal 19 opinion view
Promoting tech-driven housing reconstruction
A new concept that Practical Action has promoted is “demand aggregation” that helps people of remote hilly areas to access quality construction materials at affordable rates.
Achyut Luitel which has reached as high as 850 in the ing people’s houses by strengthening the severe years. supply chain of construction materials Nepal is The earthquake of April 2015 and and imparting technical knowledge to among the high- the enormous aftershocks have been the them. The current work that started in Ra- est risk and disas- biggest disaster of recent times. Although suwa and Nuwakot and further expanded ter-affected coun- Practical Action is not a relief organiza- in few other earthquake-affected districts tries in the world. tion, we decided to work on relief and re- is funded by the UKAid. Practical Action The past 10 years’ sponse immediately after the earthquake. with its strong engagement on communi- overview shows Since then, we have been engaged in an ty-based Disaster Risk Reduction and sys- that Nepal is be- effort to bring the affected communities tems and market-led approach is applying coming more to build back better. After the establish- the concept of Build Back Better (BBB) prone towards ment of the National Reconstruction in its works. Some of the principles it has risk and is vulner- Authority (NRA) and the Post-disaster followed include: application of technol- able towards several kinds of disasters, Recovery Framework (PDRF) provided a ogy, use of local resources, promoting such as floods, landslides and earthquake. broad guidance to reconstruction, we too safer building and earthquake-resilient According to Nepal Disaster Report 2015 decided to get engaged in some areas of approach; addressing GESI and scaling prepared by the Government of Nepal/ reconstruction where we have the exper- up and scaling out of learning from good Ministry of Home Affairs and DPNet in tise. practices. 2015, an average of 329 people lost their Practical Action is working under the I too have visited the sites several lives annually due to various disasters, NRA guidance in supporting the rebuild- times in both Rasuwa and Nuwakot since
20 Rebuilding Nepal Practical Action is promoting stone cutting machine to help rebuild after the earthquake (left). It is also training villagers to produce Compressed Stabilised Earth Brick (CSEB) as an alternative construction material (right). the inception of our work about two years ago. Some of the technologies introduced by the project such as stone cutting tech- nology and wood treatment have provided affordable solutions and alternatives that will provide access to quality construc- tion materials to build earthquake-resil- ient houses. We have applied innovative approaches such as demand aggregation of construction materials through coop- eratives and micro-enterprises of con- struction materials at the local level which have been very successful in substantially reducing the cost of house construction. The technology and approach have been overwhelmingly accepted by the local communities and local authority and are generating more interests in private busi- Photos: Practical Action ness houses to scale up successful busi- vide access to treated timber and wooden ness cases in the neighboring districts. The use of machine structures that are stronger which have Our closer coordination and ties with the twice the life expectancy compared to reg- NRA and DFID have helped in making cut corner and ular timber. these works more noticed and have been through stones for Meanwhile, a new concept that Prac- instrumental in creating demands beyond constructing houses tical Action has promoted in its works is our working districts. “demand aggregation”. This model helps Traditionally, people use stone mason- is cost effective people of remote hilly areas to access ry with mud mortar in villages. Such struc- and time efficient quality construction materials at afford- tures are vulnerable even in small earth- and relatively a new able rates through their local cooperatives. quakes. Therefore, the challenge for us has Our collaboration with private sector and been to offer affordable quake-resilient concept. local cooperatives in demand aggregation house building technologies for recovery aims to make the supply chain of con- according to the designs launched by the cept in Nepal itself. Using dressed corner struction materials more effective and ef- NRA. Practical Action with support from stones alone reduces vulnerability of a ficient. This opens up easier and cheaper Build Up Nepal has introduced Com- house towards shocks to a larger extent. options for people who lack access to the pressed Stabilised Earth Brick (CSEB) as It too is environment-friendly, uses local market and market information. This con- an alternative construction material for resources and promotes local employment cept has helped in accelerating the num- rebuilding people’s houses. This technol- opportunities. Similarly, identification ber of constructions and has opened up ogy is not only affordable, it is environ- and demonstration of smaller aggregate windows for replication in other severely ment-friendly that uses local resources, crushing machines have helped the locals affected districts too. generates livelihood opportunities for lo- access to construction aggregates that has I would like to emphasise that Practical cal people, promotes entrepreneurial po- the highest demand and supply gap, ac- Action will not leave any stone unturned tentials in the rural areas and helps build- cording to a study conducted by Practical to ensure the most needy have access to ing quake-resilient houses. Action. simpler technology towards building resil- Likewise, the introduction of stone We have also introduced chemical ient houses in line with the plan and de- cutting machine has also offered oppor- treatment facilities in saw mills and lo- signs that the NRA has set up. Practical tunities and access to new technology for cal timber workshops to provide access Action is privileged to have got the trust people to build resilient structures. The to treated timber. People often use local of DFID and the NRA towards helping government of Nepal has now made the woods for building doors and windows the earthquake-affected people to regain use of corner and through stones man- and also supporting structures as beams their confidence by building their houses datory in stone houses. The use of ma- and columns which has a very short life and complementing towards the NRA’s chine cut corner and through stones for while very prone to termite attacks. Sea- reconstruction drive. constructing houses is cost-effective and soning of local wood is time consuming (Achyut Luitel is the Regional Director of time-efficient and relatively a new con- and expensive. Hence, these facilities pro- Practical Action South Asia)
Rebuilding Nepal 21 from the Press
Three years after the earthquake, reconstruction has sped up in Sindhupalchowk. Houses are being constructed all around, and the number of migrant workers from other districts and neighboring India has surged in the last six months.
Photos: Setopati.com Madheshi masons rebuild houses in high hills
Girish Giri
Bhojpuri voices mumbled on the hill, as distinct as the Chinese language heard from the radio far away. On Friday (April 13), houses were being built at an old neighborhood of the district headquarter Chautara in Sindhupalchowk. The neighborhood is the most affected area by the earthquake in the whole city. Reconstruction has just taken speed here.
22 Rebuilding Nepal migrant workers here from our hometown is increasing day by day.” It’s getting hot in Madhes these days. But mornings and evenings are still chilly in these hills at 1,600 meters above sea level. Sanjay Yadav of Motihari, India is working as a construction worker in Chautara of Sindhupalchowk (left). the earthquake was that,” he said, “We did Tikaram Chaudhary of Dang has come to not have any workers and masons.” Sindhupalchowk to work in the reconstruction as he He said, people thronged to the vil- gets paid more than what he used to earn before (right). lage after the daily rates of Rs. 900 for skilled workers and Rs. 600 for laborers was revised in the district. At almost every construction site, The government statistics also prove rocks, sand and cement are being aggre- this sudden change. gated on one side while walls are being “About 3,800 houses had been demol- raised on the other. ished by earthquake in Chautara alone. Among the mosaic working people, Now, 3500 houses are being built at full most of them had faces different from speed,” said Tanka Gautam, acting chief that of the people from this place. of District Project Implementation Unit “Where do you come from?” I asked of Housing Division. “Even till Novem- in Bhojpuri language. ber last year, only 15 percent had received In the same way I was surprised to the second installment.” hear the Madhesi language in the high Now, the percentage has reached 75. altitude Tamang village, they were also The construction speed can be estimated surprised to hear someone from the hills from this alone.” speak Bhojpuri. But this (awkwardness) This means, out of 83,600 beneficia- did not last for long. They soon opened ries in the district, 61,500 have taken the up. second installment. ‘From Motihari.’ According to the provisions of the Motihari is about an hour’s drive from National Reconstruction Authority the Indian border town of Raxaul. It is The number of (NRA), the beneficiaries get Rs. 50,000 the headquarters of the Eastern Cham- as soon as they sign an agreement. Af- paran district in Bihar. people who had ter that, when their foundation is ready I was again surprised. come as migrant they get their second installment of Rs. “We are more than five thousand 150,000 and they get the third installment workers in the Chautara area from Mo- workers from of Rs. 100,000 when the roof is ready to tihari alone,” they added, “Further up, other districts and be installed. there are migrant workers from as far as India had suddenly According to Rudra Malla, head of Orissa.” the NRA in Sindhupalchowk, almost 80 They also informed me that there increased in the percent of the damaged houses in the dis- were a lot of Bhojpuri speaking people past six months. trict are being rebuilt. Sixteen percent of from Nepal and India in Chautara. But the beneficiaries have even submitted an what inspired them to travel all the way in application for the third installment. search of work? What about the language and culture? The NRA office was established late “We get paid more here,” they said. These Bhojpuri speaking Bihari peo- and even after the establishment of the “In Motihari, we get Indian Rs. 250 (Ne- ple can converse with us. But how would office it took a lot of time to address the pali Rs. 400). Here we are getting Rs. the people from as far as Orissa manage? grievances, according to Malla. The re- 1,000 per day with food and housing.” “They can talk with themselves,” the construction took speed only in recent According to them, laborers are get- house owner who was raising his foun- days, after more than 300 technicians ting between Rs. 800 to Rs. 1,000 in Sind- dation from a slope looked up to us and were deployed, he concludes. hupalchowk at present. The skilled work- said, “All we need is our work done.” According to Gautam from the Hous- ers are getting over Rs. 1,400. Three years after the earthquake, re- ing Division, there are about 9,500 people “We cannot even imagine this much construction has sped up in Sindhupal- with building skills in the district. But, he money in Motihari,” they said. “The num- chowk. Houses are being constructed all estimates, that about 150,000 workers are ber of migrant workers here from our around. being deployed to construct houses in the hometown is increasing day by day.” The main reason behind all this is district at present. It’s getting hot in Madhes these days. these new faces that have arrived all of “We don’t have accurate data of the But mornings and evenings are still a sudden. workers,” said Gautam. “But, it is true chilly in these hills at 1,600 meters above The number of people who had come that most of them come from other dis- sea level. as migrant workers from other districts tricts and from India.” “When we go back to the village and and India had suddenly increased in the As a result, one can see people from tell them of the situation here, others also past six months, said the house owner. Motihari working on the construction site get excited to come,” they said, “Money is “The only reason we could not build as well as on the street -way more than most important for workers.” our houses for two and half years after what people here used to see in hair-cut-
Rebuilding Nepal 23 Three years after the earthquake, reconstruction has sped up in Sindhupalchowk. Houses are being constructed all around. ting saloons and small shops in the past. meters west of Chautara, was like a refu- arrival of migrant workers coincided. We encountered another group on gee camp. Now, it has changed. “These migrant workers bring back the main road as soon as we walked down “Perhaps, only 25 percent of the more people when they go back to their from the old market. They were walking houses remain to be built in this village,” village,” he said. “DPC (damp-proof in a group for lunch. said Mekh Bahadur Baniya, who had a course) foundation work for about 150 to Their facial features and body move- house right at the bend, “Almost everyone 200 houses was completed in the village ments suggested they were migrants. has finished their foundations.” within a month.” Chautara has transformed in re- According to Baniya, a pensioner of Even with so many migrant workers cent days. Suddenly Chautara wears a the Police Department with a command- there is still insufficient manpower, ac- multi-cultural look. ing voice in the village, houses had not cording to Baniya. “Due to lack of work- But it’s not only Chautara that has been rebuilt on time in this village due to ers to lay the DPC, they are alternating on changed. The whole of Sindhupalchowk lack of manpower. two sites at a time.” district has changed with the entry of the “There is not a single person of work- Even before Baniya had finished his migrant workers. ing age in these villages dear!” said Baniya. points, Kumar Basnet, standing on the From Chautara, we headed towards “Who will raise the fallen houses?” side, was ready to speak. the way down from Melamchi. This “The migrant workers have been god- “One should not lie,” he said. was the same path on which I trekked sent in this situation.” “Though these migrant workers charge up to Gorkha one and a half years ago. “People from Surkhet, Jajarkot, Rol- high, they do a better job.” I had walked almost up to the epicenter pa and the whole of Madhes have come They start work at eight in the morn- through the earthquake affected areas in here,” he further said, pointing to the hill- ing and work continuously even after six two weeks. side, “There might be over 400 workers in the evening, he said. At that time, this whole area looked working in this slope alone.” According to Basnet, most workers devastated. Now, the number of tin-shel- He shared his experience that the were introduced by labor suppliers. The ters found on the way has decreased. The work had progressed not only because of suppliers themselves work along with oth- village is slowly coming back to life. The the migrant workers but also because of er laborers as masons or laborers. otherwise green hills are now covered by the cooperation from government agen- “The supplier takes a cut of Rs. 50 per corrugated tin-sheets on the roofs. cies. Work has progressed because the day for the first month from the pay of At that time, Pipaldanda, seven kilo- timing of the government grants and the the workers he introduces,” Basnet said,
24 Rebuilding Nepal “In return, these suppliers give some ad- go back to the village for the rice planting “At present, workers from Madhes vance money to the family of the workers season.” and Bihar are helping with the construc- before they leave their villages.” It is not only in Sindhupalchowk tion in many places,” said CEO Bhusal Tikaram Chaudhary from Bijauri, where new-comers are seen. The same turning towards us, “I met people from Dang was building Basnet’s house in Pi- day we went to Kavre district where we Bihar even in remote villages like Baghu- paldanda. Teekaram came here in January. found a lot of workers from India and wa.” “We came after the supplier invited the Madhes. In Balthali village of Kavre, He said he found similar scenario in us,” he said. “We were twelve of us to so many Bhojpuri speaking people have the remote villages of Nuwakot too. leave the village.” come that the migrant workers together There is a lack of workers in Nepal at He had never left Dang before. have opened a sweet shop. present. That is the reason people from “When the supplier explained, we There is a grand Madesh-style café other districts are flocking to these dam- came over,” he said. “Earthquake affected selling Samosa, Chat, Lagalatti, among aged hilly villages, Bhusal said. areas was much talked about in our place.” others, with a Madhesi flavor, in a place Even now, about 1,500 Nepalis are Tikaram agreed to come here and where others hadn’t opened even a tea going to the Gulf or Malaysia every day. work as he was curious to see what has shop. Even the locals were enjoying this Why aren’t they encouraged to work in re- actually happened. café where the migrant Madhesi workers construction within the country? “The supplier worked together with eat. CEO Bhusal replied, “That’s because us and also took Rs. 50 per day from our “There wasn’t even a single eatery reconstruction does not provide long- wages,” he said. “He has gone to a differ- here,” said Abdul Miya (the owner), a mi- term employment.” ent place now.” grant worker who came from Jagarnath- “On the one hand, our people have Now, Tikaram keeps all of his Rs. aspirations to fly abroad on airplanes,” he 1,000 a day wage along with food and said. “On the other, this is only a tempo- lodging. There is a lack of rary employment opportunity.” As Tikaram was talking and digging workers in Nepal Otherwise, Nepalis flying abroad to he found a dented ladle. earn Rs. 20,000 a month would have the “This is where the old house fell in at present. That is opportunity to earn way better back in the earthquake,” he said. “Another house the reason people Nepal. is being constructed on the same plot.” from other districts According to Bhusal, lack of skilled There were no casualties as the people manpower is another reason. Whereas in in the house escaped on time. are flocking to Bihar and the Madhes, there are plenty of Back home in Dang, Tikaram lived these damaged hilly skilled workers. with his parents, wife and two sons. The villages. “We made an open call to provide eldest son is eight years old, studying training to 54,000 young people,” he said. in third grade. The other son is seven “Only 27,000 applied.” months old. pur in Parsa district two years ago. “We A daily allowance of Rs. 950 is giv- “Don’t you miss home?” opened up after agreeing that we needed en in the training. Even today, if enough “Why not? I miss it very much,” he a shop that serves our taste buds.” Nepali people show interest in taking the quipped. He now plans to operate a lodge in the training, Bhusal says he is ready to pro- “But, by working and living here, this house upon building an additional story. vide it. But for this they have to have ba- place too has become like my own.” We also had the accompaniment of sic masonry-training. They will be mainly Children rushed to see the ladle found Yuba Raj Bhusal, Chief Executive Offi- provided training for making earthquake by Tikaram. One child almost fell in the cer of the NRA, on our tour of Baltha- resistant houses. pit. li. After observing the village, journalists According to Bhusal, there is a nation- “Hey Maila boy, go away,” he cau- and Bhusal with other officers interacted wide shortage of skilled workers. tioned. “You might fall otherwise.” at the sweet shop set up by the Muslim “Even in the capital, workers from Bi- When we commented on how well friend from Parsa. har, Uttar Pradesh and Orissa have come he knew the village children to call them In the interaction, NRA’s chief for for skilled work like wiring and plumb- by their home names in less than four Kavre district Dhruva Gaida said 8,000 ing,” he says. “People from the same area months, he laughed. houses had been constructed and 28,000 have come at this time, too.” “After all, we Nepalis are the same are under construction out of the 66,000 Bhusal informed us that only about wherever we go,” he said. earthquake-affected with whom agree- 1,000 to 1,200 skilled workers are being Tikaram plans to go to Dang after the ments had been signed. produced in Nepal according to the statis- construction of two to four more houses. “What about the remaining 30,000,” tics provided by the Department of Small So far, he has already provided his labor CEO Bhusal asked. and Cottage Industries. To meet the pres- to rebuild more than ten houses in Pipal- “Like in other districts, construction ent demand, 100,000 workers need to be danda and nearby Gairhigaon. work has not progressed well in our dis- produced every year. “I have got 10 Katthas (3,380 sq me- trict too due to lack of workers,” they ters) of land in the village,” he said. “I will said. From Setopati.com
Rebuilding Nepal 25 Nepal abroad
Quake helps clear blackened air over Nepal’s brick kilns
The need to rebuild after Nepal’s devastating 2015 earthquake has presented an unex- pected opportunity to rebuild environmentally friendly brick kilns in Nepal.
AFP
26 Rebuilding Nepal Below skies darkened by thick black source of the toxic soup of pollutants smoke, hundreds of thousands of brick that has given many South Asian cities kiln workers endure back-breaking labour the unwanted accolade of having among and suffocating heat working in almost the worst air quality in the world. medieval conditions across South Asia. By stacking the bricks inside the But in one corner of the region, the kilns in a zig-zag pattern, the heat snakes need to rebuild after Nepal’s devastating through the gaps more efficiently, ensur- 2015 earthquake has presented an unex- ing coal is completely burned so less soot pected opportunity. is produced. While much work remains to be done Emissions are cut by 60 percent. But in improving working conditions, an en- more importantly for the kiln owners, it vironmental initiative has already man- nearly halves coal consumption. aged to reduce emissions from the kilns “The environmental factor does not and efforts are now focusing on rolling necessarily motivate most kiln owners, out the programme across the region, but the zig-zag method has an economic with significant implications for tackling ICIMOD benefit. We are using less coal and- get climate change. ting better bricks faster,” said Mahendra There are more than 150,000 kilns in “We wanted to Chitrakar, president of the Federation of India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Nepal Nepal Brick Industries. belching out thousands of tonnes of soot do three things: Most of the 100 brick kilns in the - known as black carbon - a major air pol- decrease emissions, Kathmandu valley have already adopted lutant and the second largest contributor the new technology, according to Chitra- to global warming after carbon dioxide. increase efficiency kar. “We had to rebuild, so we thought The factories are stuck in a bygone era. and make the why not build a more scientific, environ- Workers toil away in furnace-like heat in a kilns earthquake- mentally friendly structure,” said brick form of modern day slavery - bonded la- kiln owner Raj Kumar Lakhemaru. bourers trapped by landlords in ever-spi- resistant.” “Now there is no black smoke. The ralling debt. – Bidya Banmali Pradhan, bricks are better and I am spending a lot These labourers are sold between less on coal.” The next step is to spread landlords and the debt starts with the Programme Coordinator, the technology. Brick manufacturers sum they are sold for. It grows as the The Brick Kiln Initiative from Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Paki- workers borrow money for food, medi- stan met in Kathmandu this year to dis- cal care, even the bricks they use to build cuss the new design. homes on the edge of the kilns. Bidya Banmali Pradhan, programme co- But activists say while the environ- Along with much of Nepal, the in- ordinator for the initiative. mental changes are positive, conditions dustry was devastated by a 7.8-magni- The problem is acute, with industrial for kiln workers have not improved. tude earthquake that hit in 2015, killing soot emissions from the region having a On the edge of Kathmandu, sweaty around 9,000 people and flattening about worldwide impact. bare-footed workers hack away at the a third of the country's brick kilns. South Asia has the highest such emis- grey clay and haul heavy loads of bricks But despite the scale of the human sions in the world, according to a NASA to the cavernous kilns. tragedy, the devastation presented envi- study. The soot collects on the Arctic Most live in shacks around the facto- ronmentalists with a rare chance to clean ice, decreasing the earth’s ability to re- ries. As bonded labourers, the next gen- up at least one part of the notoriously flect the sun’s rays and contributing to eration of workers is literally born into filthy industry. warming globally. Higher temperatures the industry and many start work as chil- The brick kiln owners remain resis- are affecting global weather patterns and dren. tant to interference from labour rights have disrupted South Asia’s annual mon- There are more than 200,000 kiln groups, but they saw potential profit in soon rains, with some areas left at risk of workers in Nepal and 16 percent of them working with environmental campaign- drought while others suffer deadly delug- are children, according to Better Brick ers. es. Nepal, which is campaigning for better The Brick Kiln Initiative, launched In 2017, more than 1,200 people died conditions. “We have to clean the brick by the International Centre for Integrat- across South Asia in the worst monsoon industry from not just an environmental ed Mountain Development (ICIMOD), floods to hit the region in years. perspective but also a human one,” said found a way to redesign the ovens and Black carbon has also exacerbated the charity’s head Homraj Acharya. And stack the bricks differently so that less the melting of glaciers in the Himalayas, on that issue, he added, the Nepal earth- toxic soot is produced. which have shrunk by nearly a quarter quake has not yet cracked the factory “We wanted to do three things: de- between the late 1970s and 2010, accord- owners’ hardline opposition to change. crease emissions, increase efficiency and ing to a study. And the soot belched from make the kilns earthquake-resistant,” said the coal-powered kilns is also a major AFP
Rebuilding Nepal 27 reconstruction update Gaddi Baithak reconstructed The 110-year-old Gaddi Baithak, one of the major attrac- tions of the Basantapur Durbar Square, the World Heritage Site, has finally got a facelift, three years after the April 2015 earth- quake damaged the structure. Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli inaugurated the newly-re- stored historic monument amidst a function on June 27. The principal facade of this historical building was destroyed during the earthquake. It was retrofitted with the financial as- sistance of the United States gov- ernment. The US government had pro- vided US $700,000 through the Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation, one of many pro- grams run by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs as part of its mission of public diplomacy through educational and cultural programming and exchange. Minister for Culture, Tour- ism and Civil Aviation Rabindra Adhikari, CEO of the National Reconstruction Authority Yuba Raj Bhusal and Charge d’Affairs of the US Embassy Peter Malnak were also present at the function.
Rebuilding Nepal’s first girls’ school Chief Executive Officer of National Recon- struction Authority Yuba Raj Bhusal, along with the US Ambassador to Nepal, Ms. Alaina B. Teplitz, Member of Parliament Ram Bir Manandhar and Mayor of Kathmandu Bidhya Sundar Shakya laid the foundation stone to reconstruct Kanya Mandir Secondary School on May 11. This school is the first girls’ school in the Kathmandu Valley. US Embassy Nepal
28 Rebuilding Nepal reconstruction update Kasthamandap reconstruction set to begin
The process to reconstruct Kastha- mandap, the historic monument at the center of Kathmandu, is finally set to begin. Kathmandu Mayor Bidhya Sundar Shakya handed over a cheque of Rs. five million to the Kasthamandap Recon- struction Committee (KRC) at a func- tion on June 12 to kickstart the rebuild- ing process. Mayor Shakya pledged further sup- port of the Kathmandu Metropolitan City to rebuild the historic temple that was destroyed in the April 2015 earth- quake. On May 13, Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Rabindra Adhikari had inaugurated the recon- struction work by performing Kshyama Puja (prayer for forgiveness). A 55-member reconstruction com- mittee has been formed under the chair- the federal government, provincial gov- maintain financial transparency. Anoth- manship of Rajesh Shakya, provincial ernment and other organisations to re- er team of experts has been formed to assembly member of the area. store the Unesco World Heritage Site. monitor the project regularly to ensure The committee has been given the A committee of local community it is built according to the set norms. responsibility to generate funds from representatives has also been formed to US envoy hands over Barhabise primary health centre
The Barhabise Primary Health Center, which was damaged by the devastating earthquake in April 2015, has been reconstructed with the assistance of the US govern- ment at Ramche of Barhabise Mu- nicipality, Sindhupalchowk. US Ambassador to Nepal Alaina B Teplitz and Health Min- ister Upendra Yadav handed over the new building of the Center to the local authority on June 13. The 15-bed health facility was constructed at the cost of $1.8 million. “We are proud that the United States was able to demonstrate our deep friendship with the govern- ment and people of Nepal in this time of need,” said Teplitz during the handover ceremony.
Rebuilding Nepal 29 nRA update
A delegation of the National Defense College of Nigeria visited the National Reconstruction Authority and had an interaction with the Chief Executive Officer, Yuba Raj Bhusal, on May 27. The 21-member team had come to Nepal to learn about disaster management and national security.
A delegation of the European Commission’s Directorate-General of the International Joanna Kempkers, the ambassador of New Zealand to Nepal, (center) had a meeting Cooperation and Development met NRA CEO Yuba Raj Bhusal on May 30 to aquire with NRA CEO Yuba Raj Bhusal on May 30 and aquired information on the private latest developments on the reconstruction preocess. The delegation was led by Jean- housing reconstruction process and rebuilding of schools. Christophe Virieu (center). Photos: NRA
30 Rebuilding Nepal nRA update NRA reaches out to provincial govts to expedite rebuilding The National Reconstruction Author- ity (NRA) has taken the initiatives to dis- cuss the reconstruction process with the provincial governments to speed up its work. The NRA has already held interaction with the provincial governments and the members of the provincial assemblies in provinces 3, 4 and 1, where many districts were affected by the devastating earth- quake three years ago. At all these programs, the NRA offi- cials updated the leadership there on the current reconstruction progress and gath- ered their suggestions on ways to further expedite the reconstruction activities in various earthquake-affected districts. It held interactions in Hetauda of Province no. 3, Pokhara of Province no. 4 and Birat- nagar of Province no. 1. The interaction program was held on May 4 in Pokhara to involve and move to- gether, in coordination with newly-elected provincial government in post-earthquake reconstruction activities. Chief Minister, Ministers, Speaker and Deputy-Speaker of Provincial Assembly, Members of Pro- vincial Assembly, Chief Secretary of the Province, Chief of Pokhara Metropolitan City, Chief of District Coordination Com- tion works and they are monitored by the cal level. If this decision is made by the mittee, Kaski were present in this meeting. NRA. He also suggested making grants Government of Nepal and local level is A similar program was also organized easily accessible to those beneficiaries who given this authority, problems that we are with the Chief Minister, Ministers and built their houses themselves, before the currently facing due to this, in all earth- Members of the Assembly of Province no. technicians reached the field, by amending quake affected districts, will be resolved.” 3 on April 27 in Hetauda. the work procedures. Stating that NRA will complete its Expressing his views in the interaction Stating that no earthquake victim mandated task on time, NRA CEO program, Chief Minister of Province No. should be left behind, he said, “It would Yubaraj Bhusal said, “I believe we can 4 Prithivi Subba Gurung suggested that be easier if the responsibility to provide complete reconstruction works on time, by reconstruction efforts will be more effec- housing land to earthquake victims who amending some acts, laws and work proce- tive if the local government is given the have been residing in government, for- dures to mobilize local and provincial level responsibility to facilitate the reconstruc- est or public areas were given to the lo- authorities.” NRA begins airing radio magazine The National Reconstruction Au- sustainable reconstruction, according to 8 a.m. every Saturday on three stations thority (NRA) has started airing a week- Manohar Ghimire, Deputy Spokesperson in the Kathmandu Valley while it is aired ly radio magazine to reach out to the of the NRA. at 8 a.m. on 28 radio stations outside the millions of beneficiaries in the earth- Coinciding with the third anniversary Valley. quake-affected districts. The program, of the April 2015 earthquake, the pro- The program is being produced with titled Punarnirman (Reconstruction), is gram went on air from April 25, 2018 and support from the Delegation of the Eu- being produced by the Information and is being aired every week on 31 radio sta- ropean Union through the NEARR (Ne- Communication Unit of the NRA with tions of the affected districts. pal-EU Action for Recovery and Recon- an aim to create awareness on safe and The half-an-hour program is aired at struction) Facility.
Rebuilding Nepal 31 VOICES
of 2 percent interest as an- private houses is very satisfac- nounced by the government, tory in this district. However, but no one entertained us. I feel sad that people have re- sorted to tin-roofs whereas the district is well known for slate mines. I think we missed out on needs assessment, as we did it in a hurry. We should have done a better homework be- fore embarking on the rebuild- Man Bahadur Thami ing process. Bimaya Gurung Ward no. 9, Sundrawati, Though there are many Gumda, Laprak, Gorkha Kalinchowk Rural Municipality non-governmental organiza- tions involved in improving I am currently pursuing “I was working as a ma- Mahanta Pradip Nath Yogi livelihood of earthquake vic- bachelor in business studies son in building a house when Gorakhnath, Gorkha tims, these programs have not in Gorkha Campus. Here, I’m the whole hill started shak- reached the actual beneficiaries working for the rural munici- ing. The under-construc- This Gorkha Durbar as expected.” pality as a data collector. We are tion building collapsed and I managed to withstand the collecting data on the profes- jumped down to the field. I’m earthquake in B.S. 1990. But sions of the residents. Most of an asthma patient and have a I think it got old now and the people are either involved problem urinating. Treatment got damaged in the earth- in agriculture or grocery shops. is going on. quake three years ago. The They generally grow wheat, As for reconstruction, Department of Archeology barley and beans here. I have received the second has begun the process of tranche. As I live alone, my rebuilding but the process daughter-in-law is helping me is just too slow. The State out to rebuild the house.” needs to speed up the re- construction of this palace of historic importance as the coming monsoon might Jit Bahadur BK have severe impact on this Pipaldanda, Chautara, state property. Sindhupalchowk
“It cost me about Rs. One million to build a DPC (damp- proof course). I took loans. I Krishna Kant Upadhyay work as a seasonal agricultural Chief, District Coordination worker and a mason. I am now Committee, NRA waiting for the second tranche Dhunche, Rasuwa Apsara Humagain (of the government grant) to Balthali village, raise the walls. The reconstruction works Kavrepalanchowk One thing that has changed in this remote Rasuwa district (after the earthquake) is that I is satisfactory. Besides recon- “It cost me around 28- earn a lot these days working struction of private houses, we 30 lakhs to rebuild my house Sagar Acharya as a mason. I earn about Rs. have also been in the process of but I have loans to pay back. I Chief, District Coordination 1,000 per day besides lunch resettling people in few places have already received the third Committee, NRA, and snacks. I hardly have free which is a complicated process. tranche (of the government Charikot, Dolakha time these days. I am confi- Despite difficult terrain, the grant). I even approached dent that I will be able to repay overall reconstruction works in many banks to get the loan “The reconstruction of loans soon.” Rasuwa are quite encouraging.
For all matters related to the National Reconstruction Authority www.nra.gov.np
32 Rebuilding Nepal Fast fact Private houses Total beneficiaries enrolled 788,015 Total agreements signed 721,016 1st Tranche recipient 712,302 2nd Tranche recipient 424,702 3rd Tranche recipient 179,051 Houses under construction 502,000 Houses completed 195,688 Public buildings Reconstruction Target (Reconstruction/Retrofitting) 379 (126/253) Reconstructed (Reconstructed/Retrofitted) 220 (6/214) Under construction (Reconstruction/ Retrofitting) 147 (120/27) Retrofitting Retrofitting Beneficiaries Identified 36,288 14 Highly Affected Districts 28,306 18 Least Affected Districts 7,982 Cultural heritage Reconstruction Target 753 (133 fully ; 620 partially) Reconstructed 100 Under construction 329 Educational institutions Total damaged 7,553 Reconstructed 3,636 Under construction 1,719 Health institutions Total damaged 1,197 (544 fully; 653 partially) Reconstructed (Reconstructed/Retrofitted) 643(312/331) Under construction (Reconstruction/Retrofitting) 145(51/94) Drinking water systems Reconstruction Target 3,212 Reconstructed 581 Under construction 795 Security Buildings Reconstruction Target 383 Reconstructed 79 Under construction 126 Resettlement Location studied 1,053 Location identified 314 Affected beneficiaries 3,975 Resettlement process started from Nuwakot (total of 388 houses have already received Rs. 200,000 of GoN private housing grant in Sindhupalchowk, Dolakha, Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, Ramechhap and Chitwan for resettlement).
Human resources Short term training (7 days) 35,000 On-the-job training 16,649 (Figures as of June 30, 2018) The post-earthquake rebuilding is gaining momentum in Laprak of Gorkha.
For more information:
National Reconstruction Authority Singh Durbar, Kathmandu Ph: 01-4211482, 01-4211465 | Fax: 01-4211473 Helpline: 1660-01-72000 (NTC) | 9801572111 (NCell) Mail: [email protected] www.nra.gov.np
National Reconstruction Authority
@NRANepal
Editor: Krishna Prasad Dawadi Editorial Team: Manohar Ghimire, Dinesh Pandeya, Dipak Sapkota, Aabha Khatri Editorial Advisor: Kosmos Biswokarma
Our mailing address: [email protected] | [email protected]
This news magazine is published with support from the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs, NDI/USAID