By A Staff Reporter
Kathmandu, Aug. 5: Work on the construction of the structures in the new Dharahara complex has not been able to pick up pace.
The reconstruction of the main tower was expedited to enable former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to inaugurate it on April 25, 2021. But since then, work has slowed down greatly, said Raju Man Manandhar, an expert with the National Reconstruction Authority (NRA).
So far, Raman Construction, the contractor for the whole Dharahara reconstruction project, has spent 54 per cent of the total Rs. 3.48 billion budget and 60 per cent of the work of the Dharahara tower has been completed.
However, construction of other structures including the triple basement, the four-storey museum and the historic Sundhara water spout has not gained the desired pace, Manandhar said.
“The physical progress of the triple basement stands at around 80 per cent and that of museum stands at 40 per cent,” Manandhar informed, adding, “Work on Sundhara has not begun because of the monsoon. The men are on the site ready to work but they cannot begin because of the rains.”
Around Rs. 1.2 million is estimated to make, fix and finish the gold-plated bronze casing on the conduit of Sundhara. The inlet and outlet channels also need to be repaired and in some cases reestablished to make the spout functional.
Nevertheless, Manandhar said that work on golden spout would begin within a few days if the weather permitted.
The NRA has also not yet started work on the preservation of the remains of the old Dharahara. The cracked walls of the base of the tower need to be repaired and it needs to be encased in glass.
“Construction of the new Dharahara and structures are more important. So, they will be finished first and work on the stump of the old Dharahara will start at the end,” Manandhar informed