Breaking the barriers Women make up 20 percent of the total mobile masons which is an unprecedented feat considering that masonry, and the construction sector, have conventionally been male-dominated. Inside Good governance in reconstruction | PMO gets new office | Kasthamandap almost complete Inside Reconstruction of Ranipokhari begins | Housing grants simplified | Foreign aid in numbers Inside Helambu returning to past glory | Tembathang promotes Hyolmo culture | Public hearing in Melamchi Inside Donors pledge further support | Laprak settlement in final stage | Rs.141 billion for post-quake rebuilding Inside 62,000 delisted from beneficiary list | Pilachhen under construction | List of reconstructed heritage sites You can obtain the previous editions of ‘Rebuilding Nepal’ from NRA office at Singha Durbar. Cover: Women masons taking part in a training program held in Gorkha. Photo: UNDP NRA LATEST Second fourth quarter progress of NRA 20,255 beneficiaries added, 92 pc signed agreement NRA The National Reconstruction Authority held a meeting to review the progress made in the second fourth quarter of this current fiscal year. The National Reconstruction Author- During the review period, 36,050 Similarly, out of 147 health center ity (NRA) held a meeting to review the private houses have been reconstructed buildings to be built under the Indian progress made in the second fourth quar- while 28,872 beneficiaries have started government grant, review is ongoing of ter of this current fiscal year. to construct their houses damaged in the tender to construct 33 centers and agree- The review was held of the NRA ac- April 2015 earthquake. ment has been reached with the Indian tivities and physical and fiscal progress in According to the NRA ’s Central Level Embassy to rebuild 121 health centers, the post-earthquake reconstruction held Project Implementation Unit (Education), according to the Central Level Project from November 16, 2020 to March 13, 161 more schools have been rebuilt which Implementation Unit (Building). 2021. The review meeting was held on has put the total number of schools being Likewise, the number of archaeolog- March 23 in the presence of representa- reconstructed at 6,246. As per the data, ical heritage sites that has been recon- tives of the Prime Minister’s Office, Na- the total number of classrooms being re- structed has now reached 490 with 25 tional Planning Commission and the Min- built has now reached 34,267, including more such sites rebuilt during the review istry of Finance. 3,042 classrooms built during the review period. The concerned government agen- As per the progress report present- period. cies have renovated 294 Gumbas while ed at the review meeting, 20,255 bene- During this period, 75 percent prog- the process of preparing detailed project ficiaries have been added to the list of ress has been made in the reconstruction report and design has been initiated to re- recipients for the government grant of 90 health facilities while reconstruc- build 38 Gumbas that are more than 100 and 18,627 beneficiaries signed the tion of 13 health centers has begun with years old and have plinth area of more agreement during the period. Similarly, the financial assistance of the Saudi Fund. than 2,000 square feet. 22,589 beneficiaries have received the Out of 200 health centers being built As for the reconstruction of govern- first tranche of the grant while 18,649 from the Nepal government resources, ment buildings, 85 percent progress has beneficiaries and 29,349 beneficiaries multi-year planning has been approved to been made in the reconstruction of 23 received the second and third tranches rebuild 140 health centers while prepara- buildings. Retrofitting of some big public respectively. tions are underway to call the tender. buildings is also taking place at present. Rebuilding Nepal 1 NRA LATEST 22nd floor of Dharahara complete; Work on dome continues The construction of the 22nd floor of Dhara- hara has now completed and works are underway to construct a dome on which a Gajur (pinnacle) will sit. The works of plastering in and outside of the tower, parking area and the museum are also going on smoothly. Chief Executive Officer of the National Reconstruction Authority Sushil Gyewali inspected the on-going reconstruction works on March 7. NRA Gelal is new Secretary at NRA Photos : NRA Newly-appointed Secretary of the National Reconstruction Authority Maniram Gelal (left) assumed his office on February 22. Chief Executive Officer of the NRA Sushil Gyewali bidding farewell to Suresh Acharya who has been transferred to Nepal Trust. The newly-appointed Secretary of and staffs at the NRA welcomed Gelal at wards handing over the remaining works the National Reconstruction Authority the NRA premises. to the concerned government agencies. (NRA) Maniram Gelal assumed his office CEO Gyewali said that Gelal ’s exper- Gelal had earlier worked as Secretary on February 22. tise would help complete the remaining at the National Vigilance Center. Chief Executive Officer of the NRA works of the NRA in an effective manner. At a function held earlier, the NRA Sushil Gyewali, executive members, joint Secretary Gelal expressed his com- bid farewell to outgoing Secretary Suresh secretaries and project directors of Cen- mitment to contribute in completing the Acharya. Secretary Acharya has been tral Level Project Implementation Units reconstruction works and also work to- transferred to Nepal Trust. 2 Rebuilding Nepal NRA LATEST Work procedure ready for adding structures on reconstructed houses The draft has been prepared with detailed engineering drawing and designs that are use- ful for engineers and construction technicians. Work procedure has been prepared to allow the earthquake beneficiaries to add rooms or floor on their ‘load-bearing ’ houses reconstructed after the April 2015 earthquake. The Central Level Project Implemen- tation Unit (CLPIU-Building) of the Na- tional Reconstruction Authority (NRA) organized an interaction on March 22 to discuss the provisions of the work proce- dure, with technical support from the Na- tional Society for Earthquake Technology Nepal (NSET). Various representatives from the gov- ernment agencies, national and interna- tional experts, local government repre- sentatives, technicians deputed in the re- construction and the representatives from NRA the development partners took part in the interaction. struction (DUDBC) will take over as the Chief Executive Officer of the Na- The work procedure implementing agencies. tional Reconstruction Authority (NRA) Director General of the DUDBC Na- Sushil Gyewali stressed on the need to has explained in baraj Pyakurel said the department is ready put the local government in center while detail how the mud to implement the work procedure as it will implementing the work procedure and the stone and cement be useful for extending houses in future. federal bodies should work as its back- The work procedure will be finalized bone. houses could extend keeping in mind the suggestions given in As the extension of the newly-recon- from all sides of the interaction and suggestions received structed houses is imminent in the rural their reconstructed from other agencies in future, according areas, the work procedure has been for- to Shyam Kishor Singh, Project Director mulated to ensure that the extended part houses. of the CLPIU (Building). too is built in earthquake-resilient manner. Joint Secretary and Spokesperson of Deputy Director of the CLPIU (Build- Nepali language for the house owners and the NRA Gopal Prasad Aryal said that the ing) Jhappar Singh Bishwakarma and Pro- construction workers to understand. work procedure will be more impactful if gram Manager of NSET Ranjan Dhungel The work procedure has explained we could build a model house in each of presented the draft work procedure and in detail how the mud stone and cement the local government. explained the content of the 10-point houses could extend from all sides of Santosh Gyawali of the United States booklet. Executive Committee member their reconstructed houses. However, the Agency for International Development of the NRA Dr. Hariram Parajuli, New ‘hybrid structure manual ’ prepared earlier (USAID) said that the work procedure Zealand-based expert Jitendra Bothra and would be useful for adding floors. would be useful not only for reconstruct- Indian expert Bibek Rawal expressed their NRA Executive Committee member ed houses but also for any house to be opinion on the presentation. Dr. Chandra Bahadur Shrestha said that built in the coming days. The draft has been prepared with de- the work procedure will be implemented The NRA has been providing Rs. tailed engineering drawing and designs after finalizing and approving it from the 300,000 as financial assistance to the that are useful for engineers and con- executive committee. After the NRA, the earthquake beneficiaries to reconstruct struction technicians. Similarly, a 10-point local governments and the Department of their houses which are termed as ‘core booklet has also been prepared in simple Urban Development and Building Con- housing units’. Rebuilding Nepal 3 SPECIAL GOOD GOVERNANCE IN RECONSTRUCTION Transparency and good governance ensured in reconstruction We have learned that we should also focus on disaster preparedness while carrying out the reconstruction and rehabilitation works. Therefore, we are now working together with the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority. tional communities. One of the major rea- determines budget, programs and plans. In sons of our success is the exercise of good short, this body gives directives to the NRA. governance that we have adopted in the Prime Minister is the chair of this commit- overall reconstruction process. tee while leader of the opposition or ap- pointed representative is its vice-chair. The Institutional Structure Steering Committee is also an implementing Important policy and structural provi- body. Involving the opposition party leader sions have been ensured in the law to main- in the decision-making process for policies, tain transparency, governance and integrity budget and programs of the government in in the post-earthquake reconstruction.