Resident Coordinator Jan Vandemoortele and Lt. Gen. Nadeem Ahmed, deputy chairman, Earthquake Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Authority (ERRA) has announced a new plan that would enable Pakistan recover from the devastating earthquake. The new plan for quake survivors would be completed within a year, covering some reconstruction work as well.
Improvement of the distribution system, water and sanitation system, skill training, teachers training programme and provision of adequate training reconstruction of houses destroyed by natural calamities would form a part of the new plan.The estimated budget needed for implementation of the reconstruction programme has been projected to be of the order of $2.5 billion.
An amount of $700 millions has already been sanctioned by the Asian Development Bank (ADB). Negotiations are still going on to encourage the World Bank to contribute the remaining amount.
It is believed that the rehabilitation and reconstruction projects would take nearly about three years to complete. Hence a new rehabilitation plan with an estimated cost of $188 million has been devised.
Several aspects related to primary education, restoration of public health, provision of clean drinking water, vocational training and other basic amenities would be taken care of by this plan. The plan would be implemented in North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and in quake-hit territories of Pakistani Kashmir.
The helicopters would be dispensed after the completion of the relief operations. Before next winter, all rehabilitation measures would be taken to aid the quake survivors, said Ahmed, in a press conference. UN Resident Coordinator Van Demortle stated that the quake hit Pakistan had received nearly 70% of the UN flash appeal. He further highlighted the completion of relief work in the affected areas.
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