ISLAMABAD, Jan 20: A strategic framework is in place to carry out the challenging phase of reconstruction in quake- stricken areas of Azad Kashmir and the NWFP, Earthquake Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Authority Chairman (Erra) Lt-Gen Mohammad Zubair said here on Thursday.

Talking to Dawn, he said the master plan for revival of the housing sector was ready and three separate designs of quake-resistant houses had already been approved. He said the process of reconstruction would commence in April, but would gain momentum in June-July. He, however, stressed that the pace of reconstruction work depended on the speed of materialization of pledges made by donors.

He said the reconstruction strategy would be implemented in two phases, incorporating short-term and medium-term schedule. The medium term-projects will be completed in a period of 18 months, while the long-term plans will be executed in a time- frame of 18 months to five years.

Gen Zubair said an amount of Rs40 billion would be disbursed among the people rendered homeless in the month of February, covering almost 70 per cent of the rural population. He said it would be a success story for Erra if majority of shelters were completed by the end of the current financial year. He pointed out that 88 per cent of the affected population lived in rural areas.

He said the designs of health and education facilities in the quake-hit areas were expected to be approved by the end of the current month.

He said another Rs40 billion would be disbursed during the next financial year, and expressed the hope that the shelters for the rural population would be completed in the first two years.

The Erra chairman said the report of the seismic survey conducted to identify earthquake prone areas to ensure reconstruction at safer places would be ready by Sunday. He said the town planning of major quake-hit cities, including Muzaffarabad, Bagh and Balakot, would be done in the light of recommendations of seismic experts. The planning will take three to five months.

He said over 400,000 houses demolished as a result of the disaster would be rebuilt. He said the owner-driven supervised houses would be earthquake resistant and local materials would be used to build them on modern lines.

He said the government institutions would not be engaged in the reconstruction process and it would be done through the active involvement of the private sector.

Gen Zubair said eight to nine construction material hubs would be established in the affected areas to serve as bulk supply points, to ensure uninterrupted supply of all the building material.

He said the establishment of construction material hubs would also help avert the possibility of black marketing.

He said: “People will get money to build owner-driven supervised houses through bank tranches”.