With a complex procedure in place, involving several institutions, securing private housing grant is difficult in the absence of harmony and coordination among the government institutions. Distrust among government institutions is making the process more time consuming. This has affected the life of the earthquake victims. With lack of coordination among the government institutions, frequent political interventions and bureaucratic hassles and the nitty-gritty of procedures and technicalities, the private housing grant has turned into a painful experience for many
By Keshab Poudel Feb 04, 2018
. In two years’ time, total amount disbursed grants for the private housing reconstruction is meagre NPR 40 billion, whereas two of the top four grants receiving districts Dhading, Sindhupalchok, Kavrepalanchok, including capital city, Kathmandu, have not received third tranche till October 2017
By Ashutosh Mani Dixit Feb 04, 2018
Situated in the prime location of the capital city, heritage sites and spaces occupied by them are under attack from several fronts. As earthquake damaged more than two-thirds of heritage sites, those destroyed by the quakes are now under attack from business groups, profit-making individuals, land mafia and others. In close connection with politicians and power brokers, mafias are working to control the heritage sites to profit from their commercialization. After protests from the local community, some of these moves have been foiled. However, the threat continues to persist
By Keshab Poudel Jan 21, 2018
Although over two and a half years have elapsed since the government announced concessional loans to earthquake victims, only a few of these people have secured the loan, with a large number of victims still waiting for the subsidies. What has gone wrong?
By Kiran Bhattarai Jan 07, 2018
Even eight months after holding the local level elections, many Rural Municipalities and Municipalities are yet to carry out reconstruction programs effectively in the earthquake-affected areas. Against the general hope of delivering effective and efficient services locally, the local level bodies seem to have failed to carry out the reconstruction work
By A Correspondent Dec 24, 2017
Despite the progress made in earthquake reconstruction, Dolakha district’s experiences have shown that the indigenous and marginalized communities are still living in tents and temporary shelters. The earthquake reconstruction efforts have been unable to meet the wishes of the suffering people. Even after two and a half years, the victims find themselves living in risks. When will they get the real respite?
By Nirashi Thami Dec 24, 2017
There is an all-out march from all sectors to capture the public land or open space and use it for commercial purposes. If the current pace continues, with the backing from political leaders, there will be no secured public places left in the next decade in case of another earthquake
By Keshab Poudel Nov 11, 2017
Families whose houses were damaged by the earthquake or who were too traumatised by the shakes to sleep indoors stayed in the temporary shelters erected in the available open spaces throughout the valley for months till the aftershocks subsided.
By Dikshya Singh Nov 11, 2017
There are an acts, bylaws and institutions to regulate and guide the earthquake waste management. With no response from the central and local level, however, people are disposing earthquake wastes as per their individual wishes. If things continue to go this way, major environmental and health problems are likely to emerge in the future
By A Correspondent Oct 27, 2017
Almost two and a half years after the earthquake it is necessary to review the reconstruction process and its pace from the perspective of the funds being deployed and their utilization at the macro and micro level.
By Pragati Koirala Oct 15, 2017
Despite the distribution of the first installment of the earthquake reconstruction cash grants for private houses, the shortage of construction materials and hike in the price are creating obstructions in the process rebuilding homes in Bhojpur and Dhankuta of the eastern region.
By Uma Kanta Khanal Oct 15, 2017
At a time when district administrations, civil society organizations and law enforcement agencies are focusing on reconstruction, human trafficking and migration is rampant in Sindhupalchwok following the quake. Historically known for its high rate of migration and human trafficking, the earthquake has further accelerated the incidents results in the lack of manpower in reconstruction
By Kiran Bhattarai Sep 10, 2017
After signing a contract with the National Reconstruction Authority (NRA), over 600,000 beneficiaries have already received their first installment of grants as per the guidelines on grant distribution to private houses. Over 56,000 of them have received the second installment, with almost 13 billion rupees going out in the market. But that a large number of beneficiaries, who received the first installment of the grant assistance, have not solicited the second tranche of the money and the third, something must have gone awry with the reconstruction of the private houses
By Keshab Poudel Aug 27, 2017
The government announced a cash grant of Rs 300,000 for the construction of the damaged houses, to be distributed in three tranches. The National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) was formed and tasked with the recovery and reconstruction of the private and public structures damaged by the earthquake
By Pragati Koirala Aug 27, 2017