'Reconstruction of infrastructure to begin soon'

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KATHMANDU, Feb. 16: Financial and economic activities will be taken ahead soon for the reconstruction of physical infrastructures damaged in the recent past.

Physical structures such as power houses, telecommunications towers, Village Development Committee (VDC) buildings and bridges were damaged especially since the beginning of the people's war launched by the Maoists.

Some of the infrastructure fell into disuse because they were too old or were swept away by floods and landslides.

Technical personnel participating in a national seminar on reconstruction of the physical infrastructures organised by Nepal Engineers Association here today pointed out the need for the government and private sector to join hands for the reconstruction of damaged structures now that peace had been restored.

Addressing the seminar, Minister for Water Resources Deepak Gyawali said that the government had started to work on the reconstruction of damaged infrastructure.

Laying emphasis on the need for one and all to extend cooperation from their respective quarters to convert the ceasefire into sustainable peace, he said that without physical development, it would not be possible to raise the living standard of the people.

Association general secretary Bharat Pahari and member Deepak Bhattarai said that technical personnel within the country should be mobilised for the reconstruction work.

At the second session of the seminar, senior engineer of the Department of Roads Keshav Prasad Wagley and technical expert of Nepal Electricity Authority Dr. Santosh Man Mishra presented separate working papers.

Engineer at Nepal Telecommunicaitons Corporation Sunil Pokharel said that it would cost around Rs 600 million to reconstruct the damaged NTC towers.

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