September 09, 2006	Saturday	Sha'aban 15, 1427

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MUZAFFARABAD, Sept 8: Almost one year down the road, construction of houses for permanent resettlement of the tens of thousands of people displaced by the last year killer earthquake is yet to start.

The affected persons are living in tents and temporary shelters provided mostly by the UNDP, relief organisations, donors and NGOs.

They are anxiously waiting for their return to normal life in their own permanent houses which the Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (Erra) has promised them to build. But so far, the Erra authorities are playing with the files containing grand plans of reconstruction and rehabilitation.

There is a need for building 200,000 plus housing units in Kashmir to resettle the quake-hit people, Erra director-general estate for Kashmir Sardar Siddique Khan told reporters at a press conference in Muzaffarabad.

The director-general gave a long list of projects to be completed as part of the reconstruction and rehabilitation process. But when asked what had been done so far for the permanent resettlement of the survivors after the passage of nearly one year, he succinctly said: “We took charge only in March this year.”

He said 80 per cent houses had been destroyed. A comprehensive plan, he said, had been prepared for development, replacement and rehabilitation of the displaced people. In rural areas, about 85 per cent people have started rebuilding their houses, he said, adding they had been extending all possible cooperation.

Replying to a question, he said a contingency plan had been prepared to cope with the approaching winter for the earthquake affected people.

About funding, he said, they had no problem in financing various relief activities. Without giving exact details how the amount has come from the pledges made by the donors, Mr Siddiq was hopeful the welfare organisations would provide the funds they had promised at the donors conference.

In response to a question on the large staff of Erra and excessive spending on the administration, he said Erra was not like a parallel government, it was coordinating and supporting earthquake related matters. He said the earthquake had caused massive damage, adding that the reconstruction work was not a simple task.

UN area coordinator M.S. Cheema said extensive destabilisation of mountain slopes in the earthquake-affected areas posed a serious challenge for the people, the government and the response community alike in the coming months.

The size and the nature of the mountainous area affected and the logistical challenges due to the loss of road infrastructure might compel population movement into lower valleys.

Stocks especially shelter and food are being pre-positioned in the lower plains and the valley for the upcoming winter, he said.