KARACHI, May 23: The Deputy Chairman of the Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (ERRA), Lt-Gen Nadeem Ahmad, has acknowledged that only $3.7 billion will be available to the government out of a total amount of $6.2 billion that were accumulated at the Donors Conference held in Islamabad last year.

Speaking at a press conference at a local hotel on Tuesday, he said that $3.5 billion dollars had already been disbursed under the heads of relief operation and balance of payments.

"I want to make it clear once again that the amounts announced by different countries and donor agencies at the Donors Conference were not grants, but they were actually soft loans. Only five per cent of the $6.2 billion dollars were grants," he said.

He also informed that a ‘Sponsors Conference’ would be held in Karachi soon with a view to bridging the respective financial gap and attracting local philanthropists and donors to join hands with the government in reconstruction and rehabilitation process.

Lt-Gen Nadeem forewarned that earthquake survivors would face another daunting challenge in the form of the forthcoming monsoon season.

This will not merely affect the pace of the ongoing reconstruction and rehabilitation process but will also add to the hardships of the people of the quake-hit areas, he added.

"The monsoon season will be a big challenge for the people and the ongoing reconstruction process. And though the country desperately needs rains, it will be a major problem for the earthquake survivors, as all roads in the quake-hit areas will be blocked due to landslides,” said Lt-Gen Nadeem.

He said the government had initially planned to complete the reconstruction and rehabilitation process in the quake-stricken areaswithin three years.

But that period, he cleared, would not be sufficient due to various reasons, adding that at least five years were required for the rehabilitation.

In reply to a question about non-payment of compensation to thousands of earthquake survivors because their houses, razed in the earthquake, had not been assessed by the survey teams, he said the federal government, two weeks ago, had released an amount of Rs3.6 billion.

Enumerating the difficulties being faced by the authority (ERRA) in the reconstruction process, he said there was an acute shortage of skilled manpower, labourers, designers, technicians and construction material, especially cement and iron in the quake-hacked areas.

The soaring prices of construction material, he observed, were also a major challenge.

He said the government had taken manufacturers, transporters and other stakeholders into confidence in order to control the prices of construction material and other goods in the quake-hit areas.

Replying to a query, he said the ERRA had requested the federal government to exempt the quake-affected areas from all kind of taxes in order to accelerate the reconstruction process. He hoped that the request would be entertained.

To another question regarding a UN report that some 100,000 survivors would have to spend another winter in tents, the deputy chairman, ERRA, said that Turkey and Saudi Arabia had agreed to donate 10,000 to 15,000 two-bed huts, which would provide shelter to 10,000 to 15,000 families before winter.

Moreover, he said that a majority of the survivors were currently residing under corrugated sheets.—Online