Focus on rebuilding private houses | Barhabise health center gets a major facelift | Woman as mason Cover: On-going reconstruction of Nautale Durbar of Basantapur Durbar Square. (Photo by Aabha Khatri) Aabha (Photoby Square. Durbar Basantapur of Durbar Nautale of On-goingreconstruction Cover: : 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 ¯ 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 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 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.

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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] CEO SPEAKS

Foremost focus is on rebuilding private houses The government decision to bring Central Level Project Implementation Units and District Level Project Implementation Units under the NRA would help to further expedite the reconstruction process.

Yuba Raj Bhusal tioning as a coordinating body to ensure Units (CLPIUs) and District Level Project the smooth reconstruction of around Implementation Units (DLPIUs) under The estab- 800,000 private houses, thousands of ed- various ministries have also now come lished the National Reconstruction Au- ucational, health and public institutions, under NRA. This is expected to further thority (NRA) with an aim to reconstruct hundreds of heritages with archeological expedite the reconstruction process. private housing, heritage sites and public and historical significance. Similarly, the NRA’s foremost focus has always been infrastructure damaged by the devastating NRA is also promoting and developing to ensure private housing reconstruction.. earthquake of April 25, 2015, and subse- integrated settlements, rehabilitating hun- To ensure that housing reconstruction quent aftershocks, in a well-planned, co- dreds of displaced families and improving is completed within a given timeframe, ordinated, sustainable and resilient man- the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands more than 3,300 engineers, sub-engineers ner. It is legally mandated to ensure the of quake-affected people. and assistant sub-engineers have been de- resettlement and relocation of earthquake The NRA had earlier been assigned ployed in the most affected districts. These affected communities who have been dis- to also coordinate different government technicians are managed and mobilized by placed, and to promote national interests ministries and departments, development the local governments to ensure their ef- and deliver social justice. partners and the donor community to en- fective participation in the reconstruction As the Chief Executive, I am most sure the deadlines for reconstruction and process. Moreover, to address the lack of privileged to have the opportunity to lead rehabilitation are being met. However, trained masons and facilitate their avail- this historic rebuilding process. with the latest decision of the government, ability, the NRA managed mason training In essence, the NRA is primarily func- the Central Level Project Implementation programs in all 282 local bodies of the 32

Rebuilding Nepal 1 earthquake-affected districts. physical infrastructure, but on rebuilding The local community’s active partici- society. We have taken the reconstruction pation and ownership by the local govern- Post-earthquake process as an opportunity to build a foun- ments are crucial for the successful comple- reconstruction is dation for an equal society by uplifting tion of the reconstruction process. I strong- the living standards of the marginalized ly believe that we can easily achieve the set also an opportunity groups. target if the local governments prioritize the for us to correct the The support we have received from reconstruction of their wards, rural munici- the international community, development palities and municipalities. For this, we have past weaknesses partners and various non-governmental held many rounds of interactions to en- of development organizations have been instrumental in courage the local government officials and activities and this rebuilding process. NRA has been ensure their active participation. continuing its efforts to channelize and Similarly, we have also set up District build even better optimally utilize support received for re- Reconstruction Facilitation Committees to settlements. construction activities to benefit the earth- ensure proper coordination at the district quake affected communities. level. In each district, this committee is It is not an easy and straightforward formed under the leadership of the head task to conduct the largest reconstruction of the District Coordination Committee, development of integrated settlements, and restoration project in the history of and consists of Chief District Officer, translocation of vulnerable settlements Nepal. Successfully completing this ef- District Coordination Officer, District and managing beneficiaries who do not fort demands the continued support and Forest Officer, Chief Land Reform Offi- have land ownership. The NRA is currently cooperation from all stakeholders -- the cer, Chief Survey Officer, Chief of Dis- assessing and evaluating options to recon- political parties, donors, government em- trict Level Project Implementation Units struct houses for unassisted elderly people ployees, private sector, cooperatives, civil (DLPIUs) of the Ministry of Urban De- who are above the age of 70, single wom- society and media. As such, I hope that velopment, Chief Treasury Controller as en above the age of 65, differently-abled support for the reconstruction process – well as bank managers of various banks. earthquake affected communities (red and and thus the most vulnerable communities Alongside the reconstruction of pri- blue card-holders) and children below the in Nepal– will grow with vigor both with- vate houses, the reconstruction process age of 16, among other vulnerable groups. in and outside of Nepal as reconstruction for damaged public, educational and health The post-earthquake reconstruction takes even more pace this coming year. institutions, heritage sites of historical sig- time period also poses an opportunity for Thank you all for your continued and nificance and local infrastructures such as us to correct the past weaknesses in de- invaluable support! Dipak Sapkota drinking water and roads are also moving velopment activities and build even better ahead. Moreover, NRA’s focus, as per its settlements. Currently, our reconstruction Bhusal is Chief Executive Officer of work order, has now congregated to the efforts are not just focused on rebuilding National Reconstruction Authority New Secretary at NRA Newly-appointed Secretary of the Na- tional Reconstruction Authority Arjun Kumar Karki took charge on April 18 and instructed the staffs at the Authority to work diligently. Saying that average efforts and ability would not be enough to speed up the recon- struction work, Secretary Karki stressed that the Authority was established to work differ- ently than under normal circumstances. He also told the NRA staff that the NRA has the responsibility to fulfil the govern- ment's promise of safer and stronger recon- struction in a timely manner. On the occasion, NRA Joint Secretary and Spokesperson Yam Lal Bhoosal briefed the new Secretary on the overall situation of re- construction, while directors of various other departments briefed him on the activities of NRA their respective departments. Newly-appointed Secretary of National Reconstruction Authority Arjun Kumar Karki took charge on April 18.

2 Rebuilding Nepal FOCUS EVENT Differently-abled and rebuilding

Dipak Sapkota Khadga Bahadur Rai’s case is a good example of how the government’s private housing grant should be utilized.

Khadga Bahadur Rai is an earthquake who had been looking after him, came to The facilitation and technical support victim from Ward No. 6, Fikkal Rural Mu- the rescue. With Som Maya’s help, by Sep- received with the government’s housing nicipality in Sindhuli. Unlike hundreds of tember 2017, Khadga Bahadur completed grant has been instrumental in building an thousands of other quake victims, Rai, 51, is constructing his house up to the plinth level. earthquake-resistant house for Khadga Ba- a differently-abled person who can neither After receiving the second tranche of assis- hadurThe reconstruction of his house is a speak nor hear. tance, Rs. 150,000, he resumed construction good example of the government-guided However, earthquakes do not discrimi- in January 2018. process of reconstruction. According to his nate and Khadga Bahadur is no exception. He receives the government grant from niece Som Maya, from the very beginning He too lost his house in the earthquake that a branch of Century Bank in Khurkot, of the construction process, Khadga Baha- struck central Nepal in April 2015. Sindhuli, which is an hour and a half walk dur has been receiving technical advice and Compared to others in his village, it was from Tinkhande where he lives. engineers also visited occasionally to inspect an enormous challenge for Khadga Baha- By February 2018, Khadga Bahadur the reconstruction.. dur to rebuild his house. But the govern- had constructed a two-room house that The house has been constructed with ment’s private housing grant has enabled just required the installation of a roof to be stone and mud mortar with a concrete him to overcome this challenge. complete. According to earthquake-resilient band. Som Maya says that engineers advised For sometime, however, he was in a construction guidelines, masons need to in- them, and “with their advice and trained bit of a dilemma, as he couldn’t find any stall the roof after raising a two-foot tall wall masons, we feel that the house has been trained masons to help him build even af- on top of the first story. The engineers de- built strong.” ter receiving the first tranche of the gov- ployed at the level have already Som Maya estimates that an additional ernment grant. But, with the announce- inspected and approved Khadga Bahadur’s Rs. 100,000 to Rs. 150,000 will be further ment of the deadline to receive the second house for him to receive the third tranche spent to complete the house, apart from the tranche, he had no other options than to of assistance. As per the provision, he will government’s assistance of Rs. 300,000. find some help. now receive Rs. 100,000 as the third and fi- Som Maya Rai, Khadga Bahadur’s niece, nal instalment. By Dipak Sapkota in Fikkal (Sindhuli)

Rebuilding Nepal 3 FOCUS EVENT

Chief Executive Officer of NRA Yubaraj Bhusal laid the foundation stone of the integrated settlement amidst a special ceremony at Jarayotar in February. Dipak Sapkota

Jarayotar gets set for integrated settlement The integrated settlement of Jarayotar hasn’t just emphasized physical infrastructure but also encouraged social reconstruction. As a community, they have also made attempts to create employment opportunities for the youth, encouraging them to stay home.

4 Rebuilding Nepal The devastating earthquake of April 2015 brought down most of the houses of Jarayotar, Melamchi in Sindhupalcho- wk, one of the worst-hit districts in cen- tral Nepal. The majority of residents in this dis- trict have begun to rebuild their homes, but the people in Jarayotar have taken a different approach: Instead of focusing on building individual houses, they de- cided to develop and rebuild the village as a whole. The locals in Jarayotar have joined hands to build an integrated settlement, an idea put forward by the National Re- construction Authority (NRA), to bring together far-flung houses, making it eas- ier for the government to provide resi- dents with essential services. Encouraged by the concept, Jarayo- The artistic rendition of the settlement of Jarayotar in Melamchi of Sindhupalchowk. tar residents have formed a ‘Local Re- construction and Resettlement Commit- 1.3 to 1.8 million. They have already re- grated settlement. tee’ as a way forward for rebuilding their located their makeshift homes from the The villagers were encouraged to lives. construction site and begun plotting the take the initiative after NRA issued nec- It is not only about rebuilding hous- land. essary guidelines for the development es in one location, said Ram Kumar There will be a total of four blocks in of integrated settlements as part of the Sapkota, secretary of the newly-formed the integrated settlement of 64 houses. reconstruction process, along with hous- committee. “The idea is to use the op- Block A and Block B will have 17 houses ing relocation for those in vulnerable portunity to build environment-friendly each, Block C will have 20 houses and areas. As per the guideline, NRA would houses through traditional Nepali archi- Block D will have 10 houses. There will provide support if 10 or more than 10 tectural styles, which could also support also be one common building for the lo- houses decide to come together to build The idea is to use the opportunity to build environment-friendly “ houses through traditional Nepali architectural styles, which “ could also support our livelihood. our livelihood.” cals to use for social events. an integrated settlement. This integrated settlement, accord- The integrated settlement of Jarayo- Chief Executive Officer of NRA ing to Sapkota, could also attract inter- tar hasn’t just emphasized physical in- Yubaraj Bhusal laid the foundation stone national and domestic tourists in the frastructure but also encouraged social of the integrated settlement amidst a future, as the villagers also plan to run reconstruction. As a community, they special ceremony in Jarayotar on Feb- home stays for incoming tourists once have also made attempts to create em- ruary 18. He praised the locals’ efforts the construction is completed. They also ployment opportunities for the youth, and assured them of NRA’s support for plan to build technologically-advanced encouraging them to stay home. the project. He informed the locals that cow sheds and export milk, in addition According to the head of the commit- NRA would help build infrastructure like to encouraging locals to engage in organ- tee, Tika Dhital, the construction work roads and drinking water supplies for the ic farming. will start soon after the inauguration. community, pledging that he would lob- In order to construct the settlement, The Institute for Social and Environ- by with the government to provide an the locals have already setup a fund with mental Transition – Nepal (ISET Nepal) additional Rs. 50,000 to rebuild the hous- a Rs. 200,000 per-family contribution of. supported the residents of Jarayotar to es in a traditional Nepali style. The private housing grant of Rs. 300,000 prepare a detailed design for their inte- Member of the Provincial Assembly per household distributed by the Gov- grated settlement. Along with this, two of Province 2, Sher Bahadur Tamang ernment of Nepal for earthquake vic- professors from the Institute of Engi- stressed on the need to link the reset- tims will also all go into the same fund. neering, Pulchowk accompanied by 25 tlement with livelihood and assured his The locals have estimated the cost students visited Jarayotar to assess and support in the project as well. of each house to be approximately Rs. study the possibility of building the inte- By Dipak Sapkota in Jarayotar

Rebuilding Nepal 5 FIELD REPORT

If everything goes according to plan, the center will become a proper hospital with all the facilities to cater to people in Barhabise and its surroundings.

Barhabise health center gets a major facelift

6 Rebuilding Nepal The primary health center is supposed to run for seven hours a day. But, we are running 24 hours now. It is really difficult at present, may be until the new building is handed over in May.” Dr. Sudeep Humagain Medical Officer, Barhabise Primary Health Center

The center, situated off of Barhabise Melamchi and Barhabise. bazaar in Sindhupalchowk, shook so vio- Though the construction of the new lently that the compound wall collapsed, buildings are in full swing, at present the building started to crumble and fear of center provides only regular services, as it a landslide forced the staff there to rush is yet to operate in a full-fledged manner. towards the patients to get them to safer The x-ray machine,damaged during locations. the earthquake, is yet to be re-installed “We literally dragged the patients out and there is a dire lack of doctors and in the field and treated them,” Tamang medicine. “We are referring our patients said. “There were only two doctors.” to Bir Hospital in Kathmandu for x-rays,” With the center itself already in an said Dr. Sudeep Humagain, a medical of- emergency, hundreds of those injured ficer working at the center. in the earthquake started to pour in for Dr. Humagain was busy updating treatment, putting even more stress on his internet services and attending to the facility. in-coming patients. “We have to attend to “Most of those injured had head in- about 1,200 patients in a month, but we juries and broken arms and legs, and in don’t have enough manpower as per the addition, there were people injured in the government provision,” the doctor com- Jure landslide also,” Tamang informed. plained. “We have a stock of free med- “That was a very difficult time.” icines as part of the Rapid Emergency The center could not run the out-pa- Response Team, but that is not enough tient department for a month after the to treat hundreds of OPD patients.” earthquake, but soon began the service Even the annual budget allocated to from a pre-fabricated structure which run the center is just Rs. 400,000, said Dr. Photos: Chandra Shekhar Karki continued for two years. Humagain, who has been working at the Today Tamang is pleased to see that center for two years. “Now that the cen- Barhabise, April 12: Bir Bahadur Ta- his primary health center is getting a ma- ter is set to come under the jurisdiction mang, 49, is a security guard at the local jor facelift. of the local government, the latter will primary health center. He has been ensur- The rebuilding is underway now with have to look for more resources to up- ing the security of the center for the past support from the United States Agen- grade it to 25-bed hospital.” six years. But the April 25 earthquake in cy for International Development (US- The primary health center is sup- 2015 shook him like never before. AID). The 10-15 bed health center is posed to run for seven hours a day, ac- “It was a terrifying day,” recalls Ta- being rebuilt to accommodate 25 beds. cording to him. “But,” he said, “We are mang while speaking to visiting journal- If everything goes according to plan, it running 24 hours now. It is really difficult ists. “The 10-15 bed health center was will become a proper hospital with all at present, may be until the new building full of patients then.” the facilities to cater to people in Jalbire, is handed over in May.”

Rebuilding Nepal 7 FROM THE PARTNERS Improving livelihoods to rebuild

In most earthquake af- fected districts, people are opting for additional income sources to help them reconstruct their houses.

Milijuli Nepali presenter Subash Kar- herself as Dilkumari Shrestha. She ex- “If there’s water, there’s plenty to do. We ki is on his way up the hill in Banchare plains that it takes two days to weave a also grow mustard and potatoes in the village of Lamidanda in Dolakha district, mat. Dilkumari is soon joined by Krishna winter.” By the time the conversation is recording interviews for BBC Media Ac- Maya, who sits down to help her with the over, a straw mat has already been knit- tion’s daily radio program. The village is weaving. The two knit together. They are ted. on the way to Singati, one of the worst- weaving the gundri, a traditional mat, for Subash thanks the family for their hit areas by the earthquake in April 2015. use at home. time and heads to another household in When he arrives on the top of the Dil Kumari says that her family has the neighborhood. Subash arrives at an- hill, Karki meets a group of women who been trying to make some extra mon- other house where he meets the owner are weaving straw mats. He strikes a con- ey. “We have goats, chicken. The family basking in the sun in her front yard. versation with a woman who introduces plants paddy during summer,” she shares. “What is the river that flows down

8 Rebuilding Nepal the hillside?” Subash enquires. . “That’s Ghum Khola,” says Radhika Pandey, who is a vegetable seller. She ex- plains how the river is a good source of life for her vegetables. Radhika currently has seven goats and three cows. She sold three goats for about seven thousand each. She had also taken up poultry farming for a while. She explains how animal husbandry contrib- utes to her savings to build a new house. “I grow spinach and potatoes. I am not employed, so this is how I make a living,” she tells Subash. As Subash continues his journey, he meets Purnamaya Ghimire. She was car- rying a pile of clothes when they met. “These are my grandson’s clothes. I’m going to my new house. I’m building a new house,” she says. “I’m also building a Photos: BBC Media Action semi-detached shelter for my goats.” Milijuli Nepali presenter Subash Karki talking to beneficiaries in Banchare village of Lamidanda in Dolakha district for Subash climbs up the hill to the loca- BBC Media Action’s daily radio program (Left and above). tion where the house is under construc- tion. The DPC (damp proof course) has Shrestha, says that he is making extra been built and wooden planks have been This constant money by selling construction materials set for construction of the ground floor. for the people in the village who are re- The new house will have three rooms source of income, building their houses. and there’s a shed for goats just adjacent Purnamaya hopes, “Everyone is rebuilding and people to it. She has used the old frames from will help build need lots of nails. I decided to sell these her old house, wood and tin to build the items as per the people’s demand, aside shed for the cows and goats. her house. This from the food items we had been selling.” “I’m a farmer. I became a widow at has also inspired “You’re also selling corrugated tin?” 25 and farming has been my main source and motivated quips Subash. of income,” explains Purnamaya. “I have “I know. And people also request ce- taken care of all my children myself. If others in the ment and iron rods. They cannot travel I have money, I can be independent. village to explore to far-off places to buy hardware as it is That’s why it’s important to have some- income generating not easy,” explains Prem Bahadur. “We thing of my own.” thought we could help our community in She also grows chilies and sells some activities to save a small way, it’s convenient for people. in the market and preserves some that money and build So all shops are now selling nails and tin lasts the whole year. “It’s possible to sheets.” make money doing just this, as I also sell their houses. Prem Bahadur’s house also collapsed spinach. This helps me save some mon- during the earthquake. He is also living ey,” she says. chicks from Singati and is waiting for a in a temporary shelter with his family. This constant source of income, Pur- bus back home. In most earthquake affected districts, namaya hopes, will help build her house. “We can’t buy this breed of chick in selling hardware has become an addi- This has also inspired and motivated my village,” she told Subash. “I had 12 tional income source for local stores to others in the village to explore income chicks and three died. So I just bought help them reconstruct their own homes. generating activities to save money and five more. When they become big, I’ll “Selling nails and screws have be- build their houses. sell some and eat some.” come mandatory for local shops,” shares Subash continues his walk across the Padam Maya explains that she’s also Prem Bahadur, who hopes to start build- village and arrives at the highway that building a house and has decided to opt ing a house himself when he has enough leads to Dolakha’s Banchare. He meets for chicken farming to earn and save savings. “If you have such items in your a woman dressed in red, who’s sitting by some money. shop, it helps. It also helps the commu- the side of the road, guarding a box. She After a brief walk, Subash reaches nity rebuild.” introduces herself as Padam Maya. Banchare where he enters a grocery store (Based on an episode of Milijuli Nepali, a daily radio “I made holes in the box so that my that also has corrugated tin sheets and program produced by BBC Media Action, which focused on chicken can breathe,” she explains when nails on sale. livelihood efforts of the earthquake victims to support the asked what was inside. She bought these The shopkeeper, Prem Bahadur rebuilding process.)

Rebuilding Nepal 9 FROM THE PARTNERS Woman as mason Now a popular and successful mason in her village, Durga not only builds earthquake-resilient houses, but also teaches villagers about the technology.

Ram Sapkota A class 12 graduate, Durga Maya Sarki of Molung Rural Municipality in Okhaldhunga has set an example by becoming a skilled mason after the earthquake three years ago.

Durga Maya Sarki, 24, of Prapcha Life took a drastic turn when Durga Now, Durga is instead instructing her 9, Molung Rural Municipality, Ward No. Maya was selected for the 50-day train- father and brothers on how to construct 5 of Okhaldhunga district completed ing. Keen to become a skilled mason, she earthquake-resilient houses, applying the grade 12 from a local college. never missed a single class. skills and knowledge she gained during She used to run a grocery store and Though her father and brothers were the training she received. made a measly Rs. 200 a day, which made already popular masons in the village, Now, a popular and successful ma- it difficult for her to support her family. she had never imagined that she would son in her village, Durga earns around One fine day in January 2017, she one day follow in their footsteps. After Rs. 30,000 a month. She not only builds heard about a free mason training in the training, Durga started to work as earthquake-resilient houses but also her village through the local radio. a mason with the help of her family. It teaches villagers about the technology. She consulted her family before fill- wasn’t difficult for her to find work, as She has already constructed 10 earth- ing out the form and her family was post-earthquake reconstruction was tak- quake-resilient homes in her village. not thrilled. Despite that, she gathered ing pace. With the increased income, Durga enough courage to contact the staff She performed well and was tech- is excited to have her first smart phone. at F-Skill, Training and Employment nically sound. Though her father and She is also taking care of her brother Service Provider supported by the brothers had traditionally been masons, and sister’s education. “I am happy that I Employment Fund/HELVETAS Swiss they never went through a formal train- could fulfill my dream of having a good Intercooperation Nepal and filled out ing like her to build earthquake-resilient mobile and educate my siblings,” Durga the form. houses. shared.

10 Rebuilding Nepal With the skills acquired to build houses, there’s no stopping Durga now. She currently has a skill test of Level-1 FACT FILE and dreams of becoming a sub-engineer by appearing in the Level-3 examination. Durga has set an example in her vil- lage that even educated woman like her can become masons. “Having skills has About Skills for Reconstruction project no boundary: neither age, nor education, nor gender can stop people from getting the right skills,” she proudly said. HELVETAS Swiss Intercooperation Nepal has been running the Employment Fund-Skills Her father Til Bahadur Sarki is for Reconstruction project since August 2015 in six earthquake affected districts - Dhading, proud of her daughter’s achievement. Gorkha, Dolakha, Sindhupalchowk, Okhaldunga and Ramechhap - with support from the “I’m especially indebted to her, as she Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). is also transferring her skills to us,” he • In 2015-2016, project trained 2,975 partners with the technical support of said. “Even though I had been working youth Build Change. as a mason for the last 25 years, I did not • In 2017, it trained 345 additional ma- • The project supported the Council for have the proper skills required to con- sons in Ramechhap Technical Education and Vocational • The project, with funding from the UK Training (CTEVT) in revising the mason Department for International Develop- curriculum by incorporating earthquake ment, trained 6,494 masons and 1,030 resilient elements; imparted Training Though her father construction carpenters in five districts of Instructors (TOI) to 340 prospective - Sindhuli, Kavre, Makawanpur, Okha- instructors; revised and updated train- and brothers were ldhunga and Rasuwa. Thus, in 2017, ing manuals, handbooks and flip files already popular ma- the project has provided 50-day on- based on revised inspection guidelines site training to 6,839 masons and sev- from NRA. sons in the village, en-day construction carpentry to 1,030 • The project also updated the training she had never imag- carpenters. implementation guidelines and monitor- • Of the total graduated, 32% are wom- ing guidelines, upgraded and adopted ined that she would en and 86% are from disadvantaged electronic photo monitoring system for one day follow in groups, including 8% Dalit (with 39% effective, qualitative and real-time mon- women) and 70% Janajati (with 30% itoring. their footsteps. women). • In 2018, the new phase of EF-SR (II) will • The final verification as of February 8, be initiated with the support of SDC with 2018 showed that 85% mason gradu- a target of training 1,000 (150 women) struct an earthquake resilient house.” ates are gainfully employed with an av- masons and furnish door to door techni- He says he is not only proud of her erage income of Rs. 13,962 per month cal assistance to thome owners in close daughter but also thanked HELVETAS for six months’ of the post training pe- collaboration with the government en- Nepal for providing her with the skills. riod. Moreover, 2,621 houses (1,370 gineers in 17 Palikas of Ramechhap, And her mother and siblings are happy during the training and 1,251 post train- Okhaldhunga and Khotang. that Durga now has education, knowl- ing) have been constructed with the • Similarly, the project will extend Techni- edge and technical skills too. participation of training graduates. cal Assistance to the Rural Enterprise The construction sector has the • The project also conducted seven-day and Remittance Project/ Ministry of In- largest number of unorganized labor- retrofitting training for 29 (5 women) dustry in implementing and monitoring engineering staff of the National Re- of the vocational skills training to 5,200 ers in Nepal, close to the agricultural construction Authority (NRA), District and apprenticeship training to 1,000 sector figures and women form half Level Project Implementation Unit/De- youth in 208 Palikas of 16 eastern dis- the workforce. However, the majority partment of Urban Development and tricts, with support from the Internation- of these women do not have specific Building Construction, engineering staff al Fund for Agriculture Development skills, as they only enter the construc- of the project and it’s implementing (IFAD). tion sector as unskilled laborers and remain unskilled. Only men receive training opportunities and systemati- cally upgrade their construction skills Development (DFID), more and more the devastating earthquake of April to graduate as masons, supervisors and women like Durga are becoming skilled 2015. The on-site training teaches the contractors. construction workers. For example, out important elements of building, how However, with the skills training of 756 masons given the 50-day on-site the building reacts during an earth- provided by the Reconstruction Skills mason training in Okhaldhunga district quake, use of bands, opening location project of the Employment Fund/ alone, 262 were women. and percentage, height of the building HELVETAS Swiss Intercooperation The main objective of the on-site and many other relevant topics. Nepal, with financial support from the training is to provide skills to build By Ram Sapkota with Kriti Bhuju in UK’s Department for International earthquake-resilient houses following Okhaldhunga

Rebuilding Nepal 11 FROM THE PARTNERS Mason training improves Durga Bahadur’s livelihood

Durga Bahadur feels fortunate to have been selected as a benefi- ciary of the model house and for being able to acquire skills as a mason.

HRRP Durga Bahadur Tamang, 34, of Ward RADO-Nepal and Tearfund’s reconstruc- dur. “Later, I also got warm clothes and a No. 11 of Thaha Municipality in Makwan- tion program and is currently involved in the sanitation kit for which I felt very happy.” pur, is a single parent. He has been taking construction of two houses under the Nepal He is thankful to RADO-Nepal and care of his children – two daughters and a government’s reconstruction program. Tearfund for their support. “They have been son – since his wife died in 2014. doing great work,” visibly-elated Durga Ba- He worked as a laborer in Kathmandu hadur shares. “Now, people here are build- to take care of his family. Life was difficult, ing earthquake-resilient houses, and are also as his earning was hardly enough to rear his Durga Bahadur is a aware about the need to build safer houses.” children. The massive earthquake that struck changed man now. He also said that sanitation in the village has central Nepal in April 2015 brought down improved. his house, along with those of thousands of He doesn’t need to “I would have been compelled to live others. go to Kathmandu under the tarp and metal roofing sheet in the Durga Bahadur was lucky though. He to earn a living. cold if I had not received the support,” he became a beneficiary of the model house recalls. “I would have no employment and given by the government to kickstart the Instead, he has hence no earnings, my family would have reconstruction in the district, when Rural decided to stay been helpless.” Awareness and Development Organiza- in the village and Durga Bahadur is a changed man now. tion Nepal (RADO-Nepal) and Tearfund, He doesn’t need to go to Kathmandu to a Christian relief and development agency help others build earn a living. Instead, he has decided to stay based in the United Kingdom, as part of earthquake-resilient in the village and help others build earth- their reconstruction program, identified quake-resilient houses. “This has given me a him as a beneficiary of the model house. houses. good opportunity to improve my economic Further, he also received training to work as condition.” a mason. Durga Bahadur feels that he is fortunate His message to RADO-Nepal and Tear- For unskilled laborers like Durga Ba- to have been selected as a beneficiary of the fund – “I am very fortunate that you came hadur, the training in masonry was a good model house and also for being able to ac- and identified me as a person in dire need; I opportunity to earn a living, especially at a quire the skills as a mason. was very poor but now because of the ma- time when tens of thousands of people had “Initially, I got two tarpaulins, two bun- son training provided by the organization, I started rebuilding their houses. dles of roofing sheets from which I made a have skills.” Since acquiring the skills, Durga Bahadur small shelter, all my utensils and clothes were (Source: RADO-Nepal, Makwanpur) has already constructed three houses under buried under rubble,” recalls Durga Baha- (Housing Reconstruction and Recovery Program)

12 Rebuilding Nepal NRA UPDATE

Deadline to receive second installment extended to mid-July NRA The Steering Committee meeting of ease the process of receiving the private ticipants of the meeting. teh National Reconstruction Authority housing grant, PM Oli said tedious pro- The Steering Committee Vice-Chair- (NRA), held at the Prime Minister’s Res- cedures should be eliminated by amend- man Bijay Kumar Gachhedar, Home idence in Baluwatar on April 3, decided ing rules and regulations if necessary. He Minister , Educa- to extend the deadline to receive the directed the NRA to make a proposal if tion Minister Giriraj Mani Pokhrel, Fi- second installment of the government additional human resources and budget nance Minister Yuvraj Khatiwada, Min- grant to private housing reconstruction was required. ister of Federal Affairs and General Ad- till July 16, 2018. Previously, the NRA The meeting also reviewed the ex- ministration , Minister had set April 13, 2018 as the deadline for isting organizational structure of the of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation receiving the second tranche. Central and District Level Project Im- Rabindra Adhikari and State Minister of The 12th meeting of the Steering plementation Units in the changed sce- Health and Population Padma Kumari Committee was chaired by Prime Min- nario and discussed the revised the or- Aryal were present in the meeting. ister K.P. Sharma Oli, who is also the ganizational structure proposed by the Likewise, Chief Secretary of Gov- Chairman of the committee. NRA. Considering the suggestions from ernment of Nepal Lok Darshan Regmi, Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli, the discussion, PM Oli directed to make other members of the Steering Commit- while determining the priorities of changes and amendments if necessary to tee Tara Nidhi Bhattari, Kishor Thapa, post-earthquake reconstruction activi- ensure smooth reconstruction works. Nimananda Rijal, members from NRA’s ties, emphasized that private housing re- NRA Chief Executive Officer Yuba executive committee Dhurba Prasad construction should be given the utmost Raj Bhusal said a revised organizational Sharma, Hari Ram Parajuli, Dr. Chandra priority. “First and foremost, moving structure was proposed to expedite and Bahadur Shrestha, Dr. Bishnu Kumar earthquake affected victims, especially provide continuity to reconstruction ac- Bhandari, Secretaries of Office of Prime infants and children, elderly, weak, dif- tivities, as the district level administra- Minister and Ministers Prem Kumar Rai ferently able, pregnant woman and ill to tion structure will be undergoing chang- and Mahendra Man Gurung, other sec- safe settlements should be the priority,” es from April 10, 2018. retary of relevant ministries, Chief of he said. NRA Secretary Madhu Sudan Central Level Project Implementation Highlighting the need to simplify and Adhikari answered queries raised by par- Unit also participated in this meeting.

Rebuilding Nepal 13 FACT FILE

14 Rebuilding Nepal FACT FILE

Graphics: Rabin Sayami

Rebuilding Nepal 15 OPINION INTERVIEW Ensuring GESI in reconstruction The GESI Section at the NRA is playing a pivotal role in GESI mainstreaming in reconstruction, social and economic recovery by facilitating capacity development, economic empowerment and development of meaningful partnerships and facilitation of linkages. Aabha Khatri

Netra Prasad Subedi 16 Rebuilding Nepal Netra Prasad Subedi, Joint Secre- tary, is head of the Policy, Monitoring, Coordination and Social Development FACT FILE Division at the NRA. Livelihood pro- motion, Gender Equality and Social In- clusion (GESI) fall under this division. Building on our ongoing work (to be influenced by the findings of the GESI Subedi has been working at the NRA for Analysis), some of the priority areas for FY 75/76 are the following: the past eight months, but he has devoted 22 years to the government bureaucracy, paredness and response through sup- working in different capacities at the Min- • Joint Programming in GESI governance port with needed resources. (including istry of General Administration, Ministry with local governance structures community stockpiling) of Urban Development, Financial Comp- • Induction and Capacity Development • Capacity development of NRA/ local troller General Office, District Treasury of the local government stakeholders level government functionaries and Comptroller Office, National Planning on programming (includes governance staff at construction sites on protection Commission, Commission for the Inves- and monitoring) GESI in Reconstruc- issues: handling of reported GBV cas- tigation of Abuse of Authority, District tion/Rehabilitation/Livelihoods; Ca- es; coordination with referral pathways pacity development in “Claiming GESI and GESI Responsive public spaces; Administration Office and Central- Bu Spaces” and “meaningfully inclusive induction on issues of personal ethics reau of Statistics. participation” of elected women repre- and accountability. Training on child In this interview, Subedi talks about sentatives protection issues and on prevention of how NRA is ensuring GESI policies in • Capacity Development of NRA GESI/ sexual harassment and abuse; estab- the overall reconstruction process. Ex- Livelihood section and local-level relat- lishment of safeguards. cerpts: ed officials on GESI empowered value • Ensuring Transparency and Account- chain, and economic empowerment ability: NRA/sub-national level govern- When did NRA establish the GESI of women and vulnerable/excluded ments will lead, coordinate and promote section and why is it important to have groups accountability for the implementation of • Identification of current and other pos- GESI commitments across recovery/ this section in NRA? sible livelihoods activities of and with reconstruction/livelihoods programming The NRA established a GESI Com- women and vulnerable groups, and and ensure meaningful participation of mittee on January 6, 2017; and the facilitating eco-systems of micro pro- women, PLWDs, Senior Citizens, Dalit GESI/Livelihoods Section on July 12, ducers’ groups; training and capacity communities, Indigenous Peoples and 2017, with a team composition backed development on value chain; quality other vulnerable and excluded groups by an Executive Committee member, control; design; fair trade ethics; mar- in local level planning, budgeting and one joint secretary, one under-secretary keting; and facilitating the movement monitoring processes. NRA’s focus is and one section officer. The undersec- of their products upwards on the value on refining communication to facilitate retary has the overall GESI Section Op- chain so that their livelihoods and hard dynamic information sharing between erations mandate under the oversight of work are GESI just. Piloting the value NRA, sub national government struc- the joint secretary and advisory guidance chain technique towards minimizing tures and “beneficiaries”. middle layers; for economic empower- • Data Management and regular dissem- of the members of the Executive Com- ment and agency of women, vulnerable ination mittee. The GESI committee, chaired by and excluded groups. • Development of partnerships/collabora- a member of the Executive Committee, • Identifying GESI-empowered Disaster tion with CSOs/Agencies with compar- comprises of GESI focal persons from Resilient livelihoods through commu- ative advantages of long ground level the Ministry of Urban Development, nity knowledge and adding to those, community experiences for support Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local proven technologies to support women - in identifying gaps and solutions Development, Ministry of Women, Chil- and vulnerable groups in disaster pre- - implementing the FY 75/76 work plan dren and Social Works and NRA GESI/ Livelihoods Joint Secretary, supported by the GESI Section. As disasters do not discriminate, opment gaps related to gender equality, processes. The Post Disaster Recovery women, vulnerable and marginalized social groups and geographical locations Framework’s (PDRF) Strategic Recovery groups were disproportionately affected through mainstreaming of GESI strate- Objectives and the PDRF’s GESI man- by the earthquake of 2015. The recov- gies throughout the recovery and recon- date provide the GESI concerned inter- ery and reconstruction process, there- struction process. est groups the opportunity for engaged fore, has been mandated to be geared NRA believes that GESI needs to advocacy and partnership with NRA for towards facilitating and achieving mean- cross-cut through all sectors, while it also a Gender Equal and Socially Inclusive ingful participation of women, excluded needs to ensure focus on specific groups Reconstruction/Recovery and Regener- and vulnerable groups and communi- through meaningfully inclusive sex and ation process. ties in all processes affecting their lives. age disaggregated engagement. There is Therefore, the GESI Section at NRA The strategic vision of the cross-cutting an explicit and implicit opportunity to is playing a pivotal role in GESI main- GESI/Livelihoods sector of the NRA mainstream GESI perspectives through- streaming in reconstruction, social and is to contribute to the closing of devel- out the reconstruction and rehabilitation economic recovery by facilitating capacity

Rebuilding Nepal 17 development, economic empowerment ing all deliverables on time, the process and development of meaningful partner- also enabled several intended outcomes ships and facilitation of linkages. throughout the different stages, based on NRA’s vision of transformative engage- In 2015 earthquake, more women ment on GESI within NRA, with GESI and girls lost their lives as compared to Concerned groups (GESICIG), rights men and boys, as identified in the Post upholders, civil society organizations, Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA). communities and other stakeholders. The Why are women vulnerable (more than GESICIG and NRA have met three times men) during disaster? in person and have been communicating During the 2015 earthquake, more regularly on various issues related to GESI women and girls lost their lives as com- in NRA’s reconstruction and livelihoods pared to men and boys, partly due to their work. Every part of the five-month long engagement in indoor household chores as process was planned for using the learning per gender roles. Post disaster, they are at to influence NRA’s draft GESI work plan the risk of sexual/gender based violence FY 75/76 and development of capacity and trafficking. Further, they also stand and partnerships for its implementation. the risk of not being counted during relief The first ever GESI workshop brought operations as the ‘head-of-households’ are together 49 NRA officials from 32 earth- mostly male in the socio-cultural context During the 2015 quake-affected districts and included of- of Nepal, and relief operations only seek ficials from the Central and District Lev- out the ‘head-of-households’. They stand earthquake, more el Program Implementation Units (C/ at risk of their voices not being heard and women and girls DLPIUs), NRA’s Executive Committee thus the response too can be non-gen- lost their lives as and representatives of GESI Concerned dered. Lack of education and disaster pre- Umbrella Organizations as participants paredness also puts them at risk of losing compared to men and resource persons. The workshop their lives during times of such disaster. and boys, partly due helped in establishing NRA’s GESI man- In many communities it was shared that date and commitments; learning about the women who followed the strict instruc- to their engagement nuanced issues related to vulnerabilities, tions of their male counterparts lost their in indoor household exclusion and approaches to overcome lives, while the latter fled to save their own chores as per them; the identification and articulation lives during the actual disaster. of the need to designate GESI focal gender roles. Post points at the local level and in influencing Would you like to share some expe- disaster, they the Draft Work Plan with inputs from the riences from the local level concerning are at the risk GESICIG, center, districts and the Execu- women in reconstruction and which tive Committee. highlights their vulnerability? of sexual/gender Given Nepal’s transition to a federal At the local level, women have been based violence and system of Governance and the devolution over-burdened with rebuilding work along trafficking. of power to the local structures, NRA’s with livelihood and household respon- main emphasis has been to work jointly sibilities, either due to the death of their with local governance mechanisms. The male counterparts during the earthquake tion support in the absence of citizenship first leg of our joint programming began or out-migration. Consequently, they lack cards and land entitlement documents. with GESI/Livelihoods consultations in the adequate time to engage in activities Kathmandu on February 2, moving on targeted towards economic empower- How is reconstruction an opportu- to Dhading, Sindhupalchowk and Kavre. ment such as mason training. Moreover, nity to empower the vulnerable? These consultations are envisaged to es- as women are stereotyped to lack the With the right kind of GESI partner- tablish NRA’s GESI in reconstruction strength required to perform physically ships and approaches, reconstruction of mandate and to encompass livelihood laborious tasks, they have faced challenges physical infrastructure is accompanied by and social recovery activities from a GESI in being hired as female masons. Even if social and economic recovery that facili- perspective, beginning with targeted in- hired, there exists a wage gap compared to tates closing of gaps and correcting ‘his- terventions for/with the most vulnerable that of the male mason in the same job, torical deficits’. (Single women 65+, Persons living with though mandated otherwise by the NRA. disabilities-blue/red card holders; Senior There have also been some reported What are the measures currently citizens- 70+ and child-headed house- cases of sexual harassment, abuse and being taken by NRA and plans for fu- holds), based on NRA’s Vulnerability In- exploitation; absence of safeguards and ture to ensure GESI in reconstruction? dex. These consultations will cover all 32 reporting mechanisms; difficult access to NRA’s GESI Work Plan 75/76 districts and the discussions and priorities support services. Women are also facing (18/19) process began in October 2017. articulated will further enrich our future challenges in accessing NRA’s reconstruc- Apart from the linear actions in fulfill- work.

18 Rebuilding Nepal OPINION VIEW There are critical areas that need sharper focus and scaled-up support

We are approaching the third anniver- supplies, and frequent changes in leadership sary of the devastating earthquakes that and key staffing at the implementing agen- disrupted Nepal’s progress towards its cies. These inherent challenges have caused development goals. Despite the series of inordinate delays in delivering recovery ben- challenges that followed the earthquakes, efit to the affected population and slowed the Nepalese people have shown remark- the pace of reconstruction. able resilience in the face of adversity. The In spite of the massive scope and scale Government of Nepal showed able leader- of the housing reconstruction program, ship in laying out the legal and institutional the NRA has established a sound imple- framework to undertake a large-scale recon- mentation framework and housing grant struction program by creating the Nation- disbursement system. Few key elements al Reconstruction Authority (NRA). The of this framework are: identification and NRA has played a pivotal role in bringing enrollment of eligible beneficiaries based together development partners and orga- on the housing damage survey; developing nizations on the ground to take the recon- a management information system and a struction process forward. multi-tier grievance redressal system; con- One of the key mandates of NRA has ducting mass awareness programs, train- Bigyan Pradhan been to design and implement the rural ings for masons and artisans, and commu- Acting Country Director, World Bank housing reconstruction program that aims nication campaigns for safer construction at homeowner-driven reconstruction of practices and government-approved design While the pace of reconstruction has about 650,000 houses to earthquake-resis- specifications; house quality inspection- re accelerated in past few months, there are tant standards with continuous socio-tech- gime to ensure earthquake-resistant con- critical areas that need sharper focus and nical facilitation. This is one of the largest struction at several construction stages and scaled-up support. These include providing post-disaster housing reconstruction pro- guidelines for corrective actions; and above expanded support to most vulnerable bene- grams and the challenges in implementation all, a streamlined fund flow with digital re- ficiaries, ensuring continued socio-technical are further compounded by the mountain- cordkeeping and direct payment of housing assistance at local level, strengthening the ous terrain with weak connectivity, lack of subsidy into the beneficiaries’ designated inspection regime with adequate staffing skilled construction workers and material bank accounts. and equipment, and bridging the manpow- er deficit at key implementing agencies. In the days ahead, the primary focus should be on implementation of programs and aim to complete all reconstruction works ahead of schedule. The World Bank remains committed to the coalition of major development partners that is supporting the housing re- construction program and pools resources for providing continuous socio-technical assistance to homeowners for construc- tion. With the contributions from the gov- ernments of Canada, Switzerland, United Kingdom and United States, the World Bank -administered Multi Donor Trust Fund is providing significant support to the housing reconstruction program and lever- ages its development impact. We look forward to continued collabo- World Bank ration with the NRA and the government, The World Bank has so far trained almost 4,000 masons through 160 events in 12 districts and provided orientation our partners and the Nepali people to build on seismically-safe construction to 57,140 house owners. Nuwakot district in Nepal a more resilient Nepal.

Rebuilding Nepal 19 OPINION VIEW Pace of reconstruction at encouraging level

The reconstruction process initiat- and public service delivery restoration ed under the leadership of the Nation- are acknowledged and deserve credit. al Reconstruction Authority represents Going forward, it appears im- a massive undertaking given the terri- portant that the NRA focuses on ble destruction and damages caused by ground-level monitoring and on ad- the 2015 earthquakes. dressing remaining implementation Despite the many challenges both challenges and grievances; continues on the ground and related to the polit- its facilitation of resilient reconstruc- ical scenario post-earthquake as well as tion in close partnership with PIUs, the climate and topography of Nepal, MOHA and NPC; provides support to the pace of reconstruction has reached the newly elected Local Governments a very encouraging level for the past with technical capacity and resources months, particularly for the recon- for them to take a proactive role in struction of private housing, schools the reconstruction; and continues to and health centers. feed learning from the reconstruction With the support and encourage- process to strengthen Nepal’s disaster ment of its development partners, the preparedness and recovery readiness efforts by the NRA to undertake a towards future risks. UNDP remains Renaud Meyer Country Director sustainable and inclusive recovery inte- fully committed to providing assis- United Nations Development Program grating infrastructure with livelihoods tance to these efforts.

NRA asks banks to ease housing grant distribution The National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) held a discussion with relevant stake- holders to rectify the problems faced by ben- eficiaries in the process of receiving housing grant from the banks. Officials of Nepal Rastra Bank, Nepal Bankers Association and representatives of various banks that are distributing grant in- stallments participated in the meeting held on March 26. The meeting came to an agreement that if beneficiaries encounter problems with grant disbursement, respective District Level Proj- ect Implementation Unit (DLPIU) will report NRA about it to NRA, Nepal Bankers Association, of Nepal Rastra Bank, requested banks to to on behalf of distributing the housing grant. and the Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local ease the distribution process by setting up a Under-secretary of NRA Dr. Bhisma Development (MoFALD) and Central Level separate desk for this specific purpose for a Kumar Bhusal, presenting the grievances re- Project Implementation Unit (CLPIU). few months, if need be. Secretary of Nepal ceived from the local level, urged banks to ad- Chief Executive Officer of the NRA Bankers Association Anil Sharma assured dress the problems. Yuba Raj Bhusal expressed NRA’s willingness that circulars will be sent out as per the need The discussion meeting was held with to solve any issues that need attention to ease to address problems concerning the housing participants from Nepal Bank Limited, Ag- the grant distribution. He said, “NRA has set grant. riculture Development Bank, Mahalaxmi deadlines to expedite housing reconstruction. In the discussion program, Joint-Secretary Development Bank, representatives from The banking sector can facilitate in providing of NRA Yam Lal Bhusal further requested various other banks, Ministry of Federal pace to reconstruction efforts by distributing prioritizing timely and efficient grant distribu- Affairs and Local Development (MoFALD) housing grant timely.” tion while emphasizing that NRA is ready to and officials from Central Level Project Im- Matrika Prasad Paudel, Deputy Director pay the service charge that banks are entitled plementation Unit.

20 Rebuilding Nepal NRA RELEASES Organizational restructure in NRA Central and District Level Project Implementation Units now under NRA Central and District Level Project April 12, according to the Chief Execu- housing and public buildings. Implementation Units will be under tive Officer of NRA Yuba Raj Bhusal. With the restructure decision, the to- the National Reconstruction Authority The meeting also directed line minis- tal number of government officials has (NRA) from April 12, 2018 to further tries that are providing relevant services now come down. After the restructuring, expedite post-earthquake reconstruction in coordination with Ministry of Feder- there will be 4,655 officials working on activities in an effective manner. al Affairs and General Administration reconstruction. This number at present Since the government has to adjust to immediately appoint officials as de- is 4,870. the organizational structure at various manded by the re-adjusted organizational levels with the new federal structure and structure. Deadline to receive second and third with the majority of district level offices According to NRA Spokesperson installment extended closing down from April 11 as per the Yam Lal Bhoosal, with the new organiza- Considering the fact that not even local government management act 2074, tional structure there will be three differ- half of the total beneficiaries have re- the government decided to place the ent district project implementation unit ceived their second installment, the NRA’s Central and District Level Project Imple- offices to handle the reconstruction ac- Steering Committee has decided to ex- mentation Units under the NRA. tivities. The grant management and local tend the deadline to receive the second The 12th Steering Committee meet- infrastructure office will carry out grant and third installment of housing grant. ing held under the Chairmanship of distribution and reconstruction of local The meeting has pushed the dead- Prime Minister K. P. Sharma Oli on April infrastructures, the education office will line to receive the second installment to 3 approved the proposed re-adjustment take care of rebuilding educational insti- 16 July, 2018 and the third installment by in the organizational structure and decid- tutions and the building unit will be in mid-January, 2019, according to CEO ed to bring it into implementation from charge of the reconstruction of private Bhusal. Monitoring reconstruction through PMIS The National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) is now running a Project Monitoring Information System (PMIS) which enables central monitoring of all reconstruction related activities on the ground. This has helped ensure reconstruction activities are effective and transparent. With the latest monitoring system, proj- ect managers can now have real time inter- action with resident engineers and field level officers working in all earthquake-affected districts and provide a quick response when required. This web-based application software is designed to establish a comprehensive da- tabase of reconstruction programs and to monitor their implementation. PMIS provides near-real time informa- tion on activities related to post-earthquake reconstruction and recovery, information NRA PMIS provides near-real time information on activities related to post-earthquake reconstruction and recovery. on the budget of those activities and their progress status. It also facilitates the moni- ment Bank. mudkhanov, Country Director of ADB toring of reconstruction activities at sites lo- The PMIS was initiated with the ob- Nepal, said at its launching, “The PMIS cated with diverse geographies with difficult jective of supporting effective project provides progress and other relevant in- access through data storage in mobile apps. management through quality monitor- formation from the field in near-real time The NRA-PMIS has been developed ing, progress tracking and safeguards mode; this brings about a big change in with support from the Asian Develop- compliance monitoring, Mukhtor Kha- project implementation.”

Rebuilding Nepal 21 NRA RELEASES NRA reviews progress report of development partners

NRA Representatives from various devel- Similarly, representatives from the em- out directly from the local level. Stating that opment partner organizations, who have bassies of China, India and Switzerland also the new structure is already operational, been supporting Nepal in post-earthquake presented their respective progress updates CEO Bhusal expressed his confidence that reconstruction, presented their progress re- on reconstruction projects that are com- the reform will further expedite the recon- ports at a function organized by the Nation- pleted and currently undertaken by them struction process. al Reconstruction Authority (NRA). and further steps that are being carried out Requesting allies and development or- NRA held the 7th meeting of the De- to complete the on-going projects in a time- ganization to present a proposal for private velopment Assistance Coordination and ly manner. housing reconstruction of elderly citizens Facilitation Committee (DACFC) at its of- The representatives and heads of part- above the age of 70, single woman above fice at Singha Durbar on April 16 to get up- ner organizations from Japan, the USA and the age of 65, the differently-abled red and dates from its partner organizations on the the UK, JICA, USAID, and DFID respec- blue card holders and minors under the age on-going reconstruction works. tively, presented their progress reports of of 16, CEO Bhusal said, “We have prior- At the meeting, development partners the reconstruction activities undertaken by itized private housing reconstruction of welcomed the newly-introduced organiza- them. 18,505 earthquake victims who are living in tional structure of NRA and expressed their Also presenting progress reports at vulnerable conditions.” confidence that the pace of reconstruction the meeting were representatives from the He also requested the participants of would now expedite. European Union, the World Bank, Asian the meeting to periodically provide updates The 12th Steering Committee meet- Development Bank, the UN agencies on reconstruction projects being carried out ing held under the chairmanship of Prime (UNDP and UNOPS and HRRP). by them and to complete them as soon as Minister K.P. Sharma Oli approved the new During the meeting, various participants possible. organizational structure of NRA, bringing expressed their curiosity about private hous- Executive Members of NRA Dr. Central and District Level Project Imple- ing reconstruction progress for earthquake Chandra Bahadur Shrestha, Dr. Hari Ram mentation Units under the NRA. victims, who are currently living in vulnera- Parajuli, Bishnu Bhandari, Acting Secretary Speaking at the function, Roland Saf- ble conditions and about integrating the local Raju Man Manandhar, Join-Secretary and er, the ambassador of the Federal Repub- level authorities in reconstruction activities. Spokesperson Yam Lal Bhusal, Netra Sub- lic of Germany, shed light on the German Chair of the DACFC meeting NRA edi and Prakash Thapa were present in this support in the reconstruction of health Chief Executive Officer Yuba Raj Bhusal meeting. Joint-Secretary and Spokesperson and educational institutions, restoration of mentioned that since the district level struc- Bhusal presented the progress update of drinking water facilities and other technical tures are not functional anymore, recon- the NRA activities in different sectors and support. struction activities are going to be carried new restructuring of the Authority.

22 Rebuilding Nepal NRA RELEASES NRA releases Rs. 9.95 billion for private housing reconstruction The National Reconstruction Author- “NRA released the amount to ensure Similarly, the number of beneficiaries ity (NRA) released an additional Rs. 9.95 that the beneficiaries receive the install- being approved for third tranche has also billion under the private housing grant on ments of the government grant on time,” increasing significantly. As of today, 72,588 March 22 to ensure there is uninterrupted said Yam Lal Bhusal, Spokesperson of beneficiaries have been approved for third financial assistance for beneficiaries who NRA. installment. They receive total sum of Rs. have started housing reconstruction. The NRA is currently making all possi- 100,000 as third installment. The NRA has authorized the Cen- ble efforts to further expedite private hous- The deadline for receiving second in- tral Level Project Implementation Unit ing reconstruction. While it has been urging stallment has been set for mid-April and (CLPIU) of the Ministry of Federal Affairs people to receive their second and third NRA has requested beneficiaries who are yet and Local Development (MoFALD) to uti- tranches by setting deadlines, it is also aware to begin housing reconstruction to start the lize the released amount to speed up private about the availability of the amount at the process and apply for second installment. housing reconstruction. The Ministry of local level. Similarly, NRA has also solicited earth- Finance provided the amount to the NRA. In the past few months, the pace of pri- quake victims who have received the first The reconstruction of private houses vate housing reconstruction has increased installment of the grant, but who have a has been the utmost priority of the govern- rapidly. As of today, 367,165 houses are house that is safe to live in, anywhere in Ne- ment. With private housing reconstruction under construction. Moreover, the 311,703 pal, or who doesn’t want to re-build their being expedited in all the earthquake-affect- beneficiaries are being approved for second houses within the given deadline, to refund ed districts, the NRA decided to release the installment of the housing grant. Upon be- the first installment amount. NRA has re- amount to meet the growing demand for ing approved, they will be able to receive Rs. leased a notice to contact District Coordi- the grant amount. 150,000 from the nearest banks. nation Committee for this matter.

Private House Reconstruction Progess

Rebuilding Nepal 23 RECONSTRUCTION HERITAGE

The historic nine-storey palace at Basantapur Durbar Square, a world her- itage site, that bore considerable damages on its structure in the April 2015 Nautaley Durbar earthquake, is finally getting a facelift. The Chinese government is providing financial and technical support to reconstruct this palace. The Chinese government has targeted to complete the rising again reconstruction within five years at a cost of Rs. 150 million.

Photos: Aabha Khatri

24 Rebuilding Nepal RECONSTRUCTION SINDHUPALCHOWK

Three years after the devastating earthquake, Purano Bazar of Chautara has now come back to life with people from nearby villages thronging the markets here. Chautara’s The Ganesh temple (below right) survived the quake, but the Bhimsen Temple suffered damages, leading the local community to rebuild it. Just four kilometers from the market lies Pipal Danda which was badly affected in the quake (far below, left) and now reconstruction revival has gained momentum bringing back vigore to the town.

Photos: Chandra Shekhar Karki

Rebuilding Nepal 25 RECONSTRUCTION DOLAKHA

This small village in ward no. 9 of Kalinchowk Rural Municipality is buzzing with reconstruction activities. The indigenous Thami community makes up about Sundrawati 60 percent of the village. More than 1,000 earthquake affected people in this village have been enlisted as beneficiaries of the government grant. But, the locals there complain there are rebuilding still three dozen families who are yet to be enlisted under the government scheme.

Photos: Chandra Shekhar Karki 26 Rebuilding Nepal RECONSTRUCTION DOLAKHA

Seventy kilometers north-east of Charikot lies Okharbote village in ward no. 2 of Jafe, Tamakoshi Rural Municipality where locals are now busy rebuild- Imported bricks ing their homes. About 85 percent of the 1,500 houses in this village have already been reconstructed. However, locals are worried about repaying loans they had to take for reconstruction. Though some have used locally-available prevail in Jafe construction material, many others had to pay hefty prices for imported bricks.

Photos: Chandra Shekhar Karki Rebuilding Nepal 27 RECONSTRUCTION KAVREPALANCHOWK

Reconstruction of private houses in Balthali village is gaining momentum and one can see many houses being rebuilt. But the locals raised some issues regarding Banking woes the timely availability of government grant, lack of necessary construction workers and unavailability of loans in subsidized interests as announced by the government. NRA CEO Bhusal talking to Sabitri Humagain of Balthali-4 about the govern- in Balthali ment provision to support single women like her to rebuild their houses. (bottom left)

Photos: Chandra Shekhar Karki 28 Rebuilding Nepal FAST FACT Private houses Total beneficiaries enrolled 767,705 Total agreements signed 709,180 1st Tranche recipient 696,193 Approval for 2nd Tranche 366,245 Approval for 3rdTranche 113,307 Houses under construction 430,089 Houses completed 119,182 Public buildings Reconstruction Target (Reconstruction/Retrofitting) 379 (126/253) Reconstructed (Reconstructed/Retrofitted) 220 (6/214) Under construction (Reconstruction/ Retrofitting) 147 (120/27) Retrofitting Houses to be retrofitted 24,991 Total agreements signed 6,218 First tranche recipients 4,227 Cultural heritage Reconstruction Target 753 (133 fully ; 620 partially) Reconstructed 100 Under construction 329 Educational institutions Total damaged 7,553 Reconstructed 3,613 Under construction 1,719 Health institutions Total damaged 1,197 (544 fully; 653 partially) Reconstructed (Reconstructed/Retrofitted) 586 (255/331) Under construction (Reconstruction/Retrofitting) 180 (86/94) 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 993 Location identified 286 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 April 21, 2018) 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: Yam Lal Bhoosal Editorial Team: Dr. Bhishma Kumar Bhusal, Manohar Ghimire, Dinesh Pandeya, Dipak Sapkota, Aabha Khatri Editorial Advisor: Kosmos Biswokarma

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This newsletter is prepared with support from National Democratic Institute/USAID