Damauli, February 16

Reconstruction of community schools, which were damaged in the April 25 earthquake and its subsequent aftershocks, has started in Tanahun.

The government provided the schools with 15 per cent of the total budget in the first instalment for reconstruction. Now the schools have started demolishing the old structures, laying the foundation stone and collecting construction materials, according to District Education Officer Top Bahadur Shrestha.

According to District Education Office Tanahun, the schools were provided with Rs 288 million. A total of 377 classrooms in 317 schools were completely damaged due to the havoc in the district. As many as 800 rooms were partially damaged and 522 rooms sustained minor damage according to the DEO’s sub-engineer Shambhu Koirala.

The contractors were supposed to begin reconstruction work in October, but they could not start because of the short supply of construction materials due to the border blockade. “We have started construction of the rooms from two to eight-room buildings,” said Poudel. Around 300 temporary rooms were built to run classes in the schools.