India, Nepal sign pacts to reconstruct over 100 projects damaged by 2015 earthquake

India and Nepal on Friday signed memorandum of understandings for the reconstruction of 14 cultural heritage and 103 health sector projects damaged by the devastating 2015 earthquake in the country.

These projects will be reconstructed at a cost of 420 crore Nepalese Rupees ($36 million), India’s Embassy here said in a statement.

The Indian Embassy and the Central Level Project Implementation Unit (Building) of National Reconstruction Authority signed the MoUs for the reconstruction of 14 cultural heritage projects in Lalitpur, Nuwakot, Rasuwa and Dhading districts and 103 health sector projects in Lalitpur, Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Sindhupalchowk, Ramechhap, Dolakha, Gulmi, Gorkha and Kavre districts.

They were signed by both sides in the presence of Karun Bansal, First Secretary (Development Partnership and Reconstruction) of the Indian mission and Shyam Kishore Singh, Project Director, CLPIU (Building), Nepal.

The CLPIU (Building) is the implementing agency for both health and cultural heritage sector projects.

Under the post-earthquake reconstruction package, India has allocated a total grant of $250 million, including $50 million each for education, cultural heritage and health sector, and $100 million for the housing sector, according to the Indian mission.

In total, 71 education sector projects, 28 cultural heritage sector projects in seven districts, 147 health facilities in 10 districts and construction of 50,000 houses in Gorkha and Nuwakot are being undertaken with India’s grant assistance, it said, adding that the Government of India is committed to bolster reconstruction efforts of Nepal in all these sectors.

The devastating earthquake, which struck the Himalayan nation in April 2015, claimed over 9,000 lives and damaged more than 8,00,000 houses and schools.