Bidya Sundar Shakya, mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, has claimed that reconstruction of the historical Kasthamandap will be completed within the current fiscal.
Speaking at a function organised to perform a special puja of the main pillar of the iconic structure today, he said that the metropolis had accorded special priority to the reconstruction of the landmark monument, which was destroyed in the 2015 earthquakes. Rajesh Shakya, coordinator of Kasthamandap Reconstruction Steering Committee said nearly 70 per cent of recovery and rehabilitation work of the historical structure was completed.
“The reconstruction work will be completed within the stipulated time. We continued the reconstruction work by adopting necessary safety measures even during the nationwide lockdown imposed by the Government of Nepal to subdue the coronavirus spread,” he said.
The reconstruction work was launched on February 10 with the erection of four principal columns. One of the four columns was erected on that day while the remaining three columns were erected later. Timbers for the reconstruction work have been brought from Mahottari, Chitwan, Parsa and Sindhulapchowk.
The Estimated budget of Kasthamandap reconstruction stands at Rs 198.8 million. KMC has already released Rs 105 million in three installments.
The temple will be reconstructed in the same old style under the public-private partnership model. Timber Corporation of Nepal has agreed to provide 17,000 cubic feet timber for the reconstruction of the three-storey monument made of wood. Only 10 to 15 per cent the timber used in the original structure were reusable. According to KMC, the roof of the monument will be covered with traditional clay-made tiles. Reconstruction of Kasthamandap, which means ‘wood pavilion’, needs specially prepared timber. Generally, timber measuring 10 feet is available in the market, but the structure requires 38 feet long timber for renovation.
