MUZAFFARABAD, Oct 2: A survey of some 194,631 quake-affected houses in the rural areas has been completed and 27 per cent people have started reconstruction work in these areas.

Director General State Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Agency (SERRA) Sardar Mohammad Siddique Khan said this while briefing State Minister for Finance Umer Ayub Khan and ambassadors of various countries.

Enovoys from a number of companies including Japan, People’s Republic of China, Turkey, France and representative of consultant firm JICA were present on the occasion.

Sardar Siddique briefed the diplomats and Mr Umer about the rehabilitation activities being carried out by SERRA in collaboration with ERRA and other organisations.

The meeting was told that the losses of Rs60.87 billion in the civil and private sector and Rs64.87 billion in the public sector have been estimated.

In order to redress these huge losses, Sardar Siddique said that Rs1,25.20 billion would be invested in these areas to restore the destroyed infrastructure.

He said that master planning, land-use planning and designing of the quake-ravaged city of Muzaffarabad has been completed by JICA.

He said that demarcation work to ensure implementation of this plan has also been completed, saying sites have been selected for roads and streets, parks, grounds, green areas, markets, schools, mosques and parking.

The meeting was also told that the quake-hit city of Muzaffarabad would be reconstructed according to international standards and the whole construction would be quake proof.

Sardar Siddique said that the town planning of the quake-battered city of Bagh has been completed by the Engineering University Lahore while the town planning of Rawlakot city was being carried out by NESPAK.

The meeting was told that Rs6.14 billion would be incurred on the construction of a 810km road and the communication sector whereas over Rs15.30 billion would be spent on the construction of 806 housing units.

In the housing sector, the director general said that licenses had been issued for setting up of 74 material hubs in different areas while 14 hubs have already been set up in the quake-hit areas to provide survivors construction material at controlled rates.

The minister and other dignitaries also visited the Ali Akbar Awan High School building which was reconstructed by a Turkish NGO Pak-Turk Cag International Educational Foundation.—APP