MUZAFFARABAD, April 8: The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) launched its first post-earthquake relief project here on Saturday, a $1.5 million programme that will use heavy machinery and employ local residents to remove 16 million cubic feet of rubble from the city’s central area.

The Earthquake Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Authority (Erra) and the Muzaffarabad Municipal Corporation authorities had identified the projects as an immediate priority which would be implemented by the USAID-funded partner International Organisation for Migration (IOM).

“We are very proud to mark the continuing commitment of the United States to Pakistan by inaugurating our first post-relief project today in Muzaffarabad,” said US Ambassador to Pakistan John C Crocker in a message from Islamabad on the occasion.

Details of the project were unveiled at a function held on the site of a ruined building in the main old city under the aegis of Municipal Corporation Muzaffarabad. The function was attended among others by USAID mission director for Pakistan Jonathan Addleton, IOM head of earthquake programmes and operations Brian Kelly, MCM administrator Zahid Amin and other senior civil and military officials.

At the conclusion of the function, Mr Addleton turned on the ignition of a bulldozer parked nearby to formally kick off the project, involving integrated rubble removal strategy.

Earlier, he told the audience that the rubble would be removed from the main old city and recycled with the help of equipment from local businesses and work teams employing more than 300 local residents.

The teams comprising skilled and unskilled labour will salvage items of value such as windows and door frames, from damaged buildings and will demolish irreparable structures, he added.

He pointed out that at present much of the rubble was being privately dumped on the banks of the Neelum and Jhelum rivers which was consequently causing structural and ecological problems.

Under the new plan, he said, rubble would be removed to staging areas where it could be further sub-divided and recycled into gravel and new concrete. The remaining rubble would then be removed to save landfill areas.