ABBOTTABAD, Aug 9: Reconstruction in the areas affected by the October earthquake in the NWFP, especially in Hazara region, may take 10 to 15 years because of procedural hurdles despite the government’s claims of completing the work in five years, sources say.

In addition to the Earthquake Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Authority, he Provincial Earthquake Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Agency has been established to take care of the five affected in the NWFP —- Abbottabad, Mansehra, Batagram, Kohsitan and Shangla.

In the districts, District Reconstruction Advisory Committees headed by the nazims were formed.

The project proposals are initiated by the district committees with the support of technical staff and forwarded to the provincial organisation in Peshawar, where a steering committee meets once in three months to scrutinise them. Then the projects are forwarded to Erra, which sends the approved schemes to Nespak.

The process has taken at least five months and is repeated if any objection is raised by Erra or Nespak.

During the 10 months since the earthquake, no work order has been issued for the reconstruction of a building in the four affected districts of Hazara region.