Govt told to protect damaged monuments

Kathmandu, March 18

The National Reconstruction Authority has directed the government to duly protect historical monuments of archeological importance damaged or destroyed by the 2015 earthquakes from adverse climatic conditions and pests until their reconstruction is over.

Janardan Guragain, NRA joint secretary, said the 53rd meeting of the executive committee presided over by Chief Executive Officer Govinda Raj Pokharel held yesterday had drawn the government’s attention to potential damage to the remains of ancient heritages and monuments.

Wooden pillars, struts, windows, artifacts and doors of the  structures that were flattened by the massive earthquakes are in immediate need of care. In addition, they are facing risk of termite infestation.The remains of the heritage structures are mostly made of pine and saal.

Guragain informed that the NRA had instructed the Central Project Implementation Unit under the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation to take necessary measures to keep the remains intact and ensure that they are not affected by climatic conditions until the recovery process is over.

Similarly, the Ministry of Urban Development has been directed to protect old palaces that houses government offices.

According to the Department of Archaeology, as many as 743 structures of archeological importance were damaged in the earthquakes. Of them, 417 are in Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur. A total of 133 structures of archaeological importance had collapsed, 95 sustained partial damage and 515 minor damage, as per to the DoA. It informed that reconstruction of some heritages had already been concluded and 48 heritages were under recovery process throughout the country.