By Binu Shrestha

Kathmandu, June 11: The reconstruction the monuments and temples, which were damaged by 2015 earthquake, is moving at a snail’s pace due to the ongoing lockdown.
The earthquake had damaged 753 heritages, and reconstruction of 402 has been completed till 23 March.
Rebuilding work of major monuments like Dharahara and Rani Pokhari is going on at snail’s pace due to the shortage of manpower. The National Reconstruction Authority is rebuilding them. According to the Department of Archeology (DoA), 753 temples, shrines and monasteries across the country had suffered damages in the 2015 earthquake.
The record of the Planning Division of Department of Archeology shows that the earthquake had damaged 215 temples and shrines in Kathmandu, 73 in Bhaktapur and 130 in Patan.
Reconstruction of 105 temples and shrines inside the World Heritage Sites of Hanumandhoka Durbar Square, Patan Durbar Square and Bhaktapur Durbar Square has completed, according to the Planning Division of DoA.
In Kathmandu district, 215 temples were damaged in the earthquake. Of them, 29 were destroyed in Hanumandhoka Durbar Square, 18 at Swoyambhunath and 66 at the Pashupati area.
Sandeep Khanal, chief of Patan Durbar Museum, said that reconstruction of the damaged shrines and temples in Patan Durbar Square had almost completed except for the Degu Taleju Temple.
The Consumer Committee will handle the reconstruction process of Degu Taleju Temple while reconstruction of the Red Machhindranath Temple of Bungumati has not moved ahead, he said.
Khanal said that in the lockdown period, the Consumer Committee had resumed the reconstruction process of Bhimsen Temple and Chasidega (small Krishna temple).
In Bhaktapur, 21 temples in the World Heritage Sites (WHS) were damaged and eight on the premises of Changu Narayan temple.
The ongoing reconstruction projects were stopped mid-way due to the effects of coronavirus. Rebuilding works in Bhaktapur has resumed from mid-May in coordination with District Administrative Office, said Saraswatri Singh, chief of National Art Museum of Bhaktapur.
Reconstruction process of eight temples, including big and small ones, is going on in Bhaktapur Durbar Square. Reconstruction of Ram Temple, National Art Museum, Hanumanghat, five storey Nyatapole temple and other projects is running on Durbar Square premises by maintaining social distance, she said.
“We have not faced shortage of skilled manpower and labourers in the lockdown period because all the workers are locals. Some projects have stopped only due to lack of required materials,” she said.
“We have been facing shortage of all kinds of required materials in lockdown period. But reconstruction work has been moving keeping those projects in top priority which need to end in the current fiscal year, said Singh. Reconstruction works in Changu Naryan and Suryabinayak temple premises have also started.
Aruna Nakarmi, executive director of Hanuman Dhoka Durbar Museum Development Committee, said that reconstruction process of some shrines, including Kasthmandap, had already begun.
The reconstruction process of nine storey palace has completed and workers are now busy giving finishing touch. Likewise, reconstruction process of Gaddi Baithak has already completed.