Nepal launches post-earthquake reconstruction campaign

Nepal today formally launched a mega reconstruction campaign to build a million new homes, nine months after the devastating earthquake that killed nearly 9,000 people.
At a special function, President Bidya Devi Bhandari formally opened the much awaited campaign in the presence of senior government officials, chiefs of diplomatic missions and representatives of donor agencies based in Kathmandu.
While Bhandari launched the reconstruction campaign, Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli also released the reconstruction masterplan of Bungmati town in nearby Lalitpur district.
Oli, deputy prime ministers Bijay Kumar Gachhadar and Kamal Thapa, former prime ministers Prachanda and Sushil Koirala, National Reconstruction Authority Chief Executive Officer Sushil Gyawali, UN Development Programme representative to Nepal Renaud Meyer among others addressed the function.

They had stressed need of joint efforts from government and non-government agencies, international donors, political parties and members of the public to reconstruct the nation in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake.
According to official records, 8,891 people were killed in the magnitude-7.8 earthquake that struck Nepal on April 25 last year while 22,200 others were injured in the tremor subsequent aftershocks.

Similarly, 608,155 houses were completely damaged and 298,998 houses and sheds were partially damaged by the tremor.
About 2,687 government buildings including schools, hospitals and health posts were completely damaged while 3,776 had suffered partial damage.
The damage from the quake is estimated at NRs 760 billion (USD 7.6 billion).

During a global donors meet held in August, countries including India and China had pledged assistance of USD 4.2 billion to Nepal, half of it in the form of grants for rebuilding works.