India, Nepal launch website for post-earthquake reconstruction projects in education sector

An agreement for their role in the health sector was recently signed between the Indian embassy, on behalf of the Indian government, and CBRI, Roorkee. Steady progress has been witnessed under India's commitment of USD 1 billion for post-earthquake reconstruction projects in Nepal, it said.

India and Nepal have launched a website dedicated to providing information about the 2015 post-earthquake reconstruction projects funded by New Delhi in the Himalayan nation's education sector, the Indian embassy here said. Indian Ambassador to Nepal Vinay M Kwatra and CEO of Nepal's National Reconstruction Authority Sushil Gyewali virtually launched the website on Tuesday.

The website, available in both English and Nepali versions, is a one-stop, user-friendly window for all information related to education projects under the India-funded post-earthquake reconstruction initiatives, a press release issued by the Indian embassy said. The website, which can be accessed at www.goicbrinepal.com, has been conceptualized and developed by the Central Building Research Institute (CBRI), Roorkee under India's Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), it said.

After their role in the education sector projects, the CBRI has also been appointed as the design and project management consultant for health sector projects under the government of India's post-earthquake reconstruction initiatives. An agreement for their role in the health sector was recently signed between the Indian embassy, on behalf of the Indian government, and CBRI, Roorkee.

Steady progress has been witnessed under India's commitment of USD 1 billion for post-earthquake reconstruction projects in Nepal, it said. In the housing sector, over 46,000 out of 50,000 houses have been completed in Nuwakot and Gorkha districts, which were hard hit by the powerful 2015 earthquake. In April 2015, a devastating earthquake of 7.8 magnitudes rocked Nepal, killing nearly 9,000 people and wounding nearly 22,000 others. According to a UN report, more than 3,00,000 houses were damaged in the earthquake.

"Education, health and cultural restoration projects including 70 schools, 1 library, 147 health facilities, and 28 cultural heritage sector projects are under implementation for reconstruction/retrofitting," the release said.