The Nepal Army (NA) has started handing over temporary community buildings to the concerned government entities at the presence of local VDC secretaries and stakeholders in various districts.

Out of 85 proposed community buildings for the families displaced by the Gorkha Earthquake of last year, the NA was commissioned to construct 36 buildings in 11 districts.  A statement issued by the NA’s Directorate of Public Affairs on Friday said, the Army has handed over 28 temporary community buildings in 11 districts.

Eight remaining buildings— five in Dhading, two in Okhaldhunga and one in Kavre— will soon be completed and handed over to the concerned government agencies, the NA statement said.

The Army started constructing the temporary buildings on May 25, targeting 468 earthquake survivors in 36 districts, including Gorkha, Dhading, Nuwakot, Sindhupalchok, Rasuwa, Kavre, Dolakha, Ramechhap and Sindhuli. According to the National Reconstruction Authority, this community housing programme was launched keeping in mind those families living in landslide-prone areas after the earthquake.

The 85 buildings can hardly accommodate 1,000 families. Around 800,000 families had lost their homes in the earthquake.

The NRA has also sought the NA’s support in constructing community buildings in the three districts of Kathmandu Valley.

“The authority has requested us to construct similar community buildings inside the Valley. The number of buildings, however, is yet to be decided,” said Brig Gen Tara Bahadur Karki,  the NA spokesperson.

Timber collection for rebuilding

KANCHANPUR: Timber Corporation of Nepal (TCN) has completed the first phase of windthrow timber collection programme launched inside the Shuklaphanta Wildlife Reserve. The government has decided to use around 70 percent of the collected timbers in post-quake reconstruction projects. Around 8,000 cubic feet of timbers were collected until mid-June. The next phase of collection will start from mid-October after the monsoon has ended, officials said. The government has decided to collect around 174,000 cubic feet timber to rebuild homes for the quake-displaced families. TCN has also been authorised to cut down 4,460 trees inside the reserve.