Kathmandu, March 6

The Embassy of India, Kathmandu, today signed an agreement with the Central Building Research Institute, Roorkee, India for post-earthquake reconstruction of 72 educational facilities in Nepal today.

The agreement was signed by Ajay Kumar, deputy chief of mission, Embassy of India, Kathmandu, on behalf of the Government of India, and by Purnima Parida, group leader, Planning and Business Development Group, CBRI, Roorkee.

Chief Executive Officer of National Reconstruction Authority Sushil Gyewali and Ambassador of India to Nepal Manjeev Singh Puri graced the occasion.

According to a press release issued by the embassy, the CBRI will provide Design and Project Management Consultancy services for reconstruction of 70 higher secondary schools in seven districts (Gorkha, Nuwakot, Dhading, Dolakha, Kavrepalanchowk, Ramechhap and Sindhpalchowk) as well as the Central Library of Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, and the National Library in Patan, Lalitpur.

The CBRI will work with the Central Level Project Implementation Unit of the Ministry of Education to reconstruct/retrofit educational facilities as per the Government of Nepal’s guidelines on disaster-resilient reconstruction.

Separately, Shuchita Kishore, head of Reconstruction Wing of the Embassy of India and Ima Narayan Shrestha, project director, CLPIU (Education) signed separate project specific MoUs, laying out the implementation modalities for reconstruction of eight schools in Gorkha and Nuwakot districts.

The CBRI, Roorkee, a premier National Laboratory under the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, is a pioneer in India for research in the field of shelter planning, building materials, structures, foundations and disaster mitigation, the release stated.