ISLAMABAD, Sept 29: Reconstruction of 600,000 homes and many other buildings damaged by last year’s earthquake may take eight years, longer than the government predicts, Asian Development Bank Country Director Peter Fedon said on Friday.

The ADB official said after a visit to areas ravaged by the earthquake that the towering mountains and inclement weather conditions were major complications for reconstruction efforts.

“The Pakistan army says it will take three to five years, but realistically it will take at least eight years given the terrain and the weather conditions,” Mr Fedon told AP here. “For us, we see it as a long-term effort.”

Speaking at a press conference with Earthquake Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Authority Deputy Chairman Lt-Gen Nadeem Ahmad, the ADB country director said the bank had released $465 million of

the $1 billion pledged for different projects in the affected areas.

He said the amount included $80 million donated by different countries, while another $80 million grant would be provided soon.

He said the bank had agreed to provide $300 million assistance for the housing sector in the affected areas.

The Erra deputy chief said that over Rs50 billion had been disbursed among the affected people for their rehabilitation.

In reply to a question, Lt-Gen Ahmad said Balakot city would be relocated to Bakriyal area at a cost of $130 million and the project would be completed in three years. The said the new city would have all modern civic facilities.

A new satellite town would be established near Nangarpura to accommodate the dislocated people of Muzaffarabad, he said.

He said the main focus was to reconstruct the houses so that dislocated people could be accommodated as early as possible.—Agencies