'Quake reconstruction cost on prescribed criteria shoots up'

The World Bank on Tuesday estimated that cost of reconstructing shelter on the prescribed criteria in earthquake affected areas has shot up and another Pakistani harsh winter without a roof is fast approaching, to make lives of over 1.8 million people miserable living in makeshift shelters and tents.
It also says that about 10,000 orphans and thousands of widows without proper facilities to accommodate them face an uncertain future.
About 70 percent of the target families live in areas where winter conditions are extremely harsh. The six-month livelihood programme launched to sustain these households near its completion and extension is needed till the permanent arrangements to accommodate these affectees, it added.
To improve access in these remote localities a road sector strategy has been approved by the Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (Erra) Council, providing criteria-based categorisation and prioritisation of the damaged road network for reconstruction.
Total funding requirements for the road sector is 467 million dollar, out of which 296 million dollar ($100 million from the World Bank) is currently available through various donor commitments, leaving a financing gap of about 170 million dollar, the bank said.
It further says 2.8 million people lost homes in the earthquake and over 0.57 million houses were damaged of which 90 percent require total reconstruction. A year after, close to 75 percent of those in need are receiving the second tranche of housing grant pledged by Erra to help them rebuild.
More than a million people lost their jobs after the earthquake. With World Bank assistance, 85 percent of the more than 240,000 eligible families are currently receiving livelihood support.
It says that at the end of September 2006, about 640 million dollar has been disbursed among the affectees. The second instalment of housing grants has been disbursed to more than 75 percent of eligible households, totalling around 467 million dollar. Reconstruction of over 25 percent of the damaged houses has started, around 450,000 people have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to reconstruct their homes and over 80,000 supervisors and house owners have been trained about seismically safe construction designs.
Some 85 percent of the 240,895 eligible families are currently receiving livelihood support in the form of cash grants of Rs 3,000 (about $50) per month. So far more than 35 million dollar have been disbursed among the beneficiaries.