96% of heritage reconstruction completed

BY A STAFF REPORTER Kathmandu, May 10:  Work on reconstructing and repairing 650 of the 920 archaeological structures damaged in the 2015 earthquake has been completed. The devastating Gorkha earthquake had damaged 920 temples, shrines, monasteries and rest houses across the country. 

Of them, 170 temples and shrines were located in World Heritage Sites, 406 were in the three districts of Kathmandu Valley and 344 were outside the valley.  The record maintained by the Planning Division of the Department of Archaeology (DoA) shows that 125 of the destroyed temples that were in the various World Heritage Sites have been rebuilt whereas 34 temples are in the process of being rebuilt. However, work has still not begun on 11 temples and shrines. 

Inside the Kathmandu Valley, 237 monuments have been rebuilt and 51 structures are being rebuilt. However, work is yet to begin on 51 temples. 

Outside the valley, 258 monuments have been rebuilt, 46 temples are being rebuilt and 40 temples are waiting for work to begin. All this means that 96 per cent of the quake-damaged have been completed and, according to the DoA, the remaining work will be completed in the next two years. Almost all the monuments of Bhaktapur and Patan Durbar Squares have been completed while temples in Hanumandhoka and Pashupati remain to be reconstructed.