Nepal to train 50,000 workers for reconstruction

Volunteers remove debris at the historic Darahara tower, a city landmark, after an earthquake in Kathmandu. File photo

Earthquake-hit Nepal will train 50,000 workers to help carry out reconstruction, Finance Minister Ram Sharan Mahat said.

Delivering the annual budget on Tuesday, Mr. Mahat said the government will train tens of thousands of people to work as carpenters, plumbers, electricians and masons.

Mr. Mahat said the economy is likely to grow at 3 per cent this fiscal year, the lowest rate since 2007.

The government will spend $910 million this year to rebuild infrastructure, public buildings, monuments, and private homes destroyed by the earthquakes.

The earthquakes required a massive international rescue and relief operation, which Nepal called off in June to focus on helping victims and reconstruction.

But many Nepalis still living in refugee camps said they are yet to receive aid from the government.

Massive earthquake in Nepal; over 1,500 killed

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7.9 earthquake in Nepal; tremors felt across north India

A strong 7.9-magnitude earthquake shook Nepal's capital causing massive damage. Some tremors are reported to have lasted as much as 20 seconds.

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A selection of images capturing the extent of damage

These visualisations show how the intensity varied with distance from epicentre. > Read more The PM spoke to Nepal President and Chief Ministers of Bihar, Sikkim. > Read more Helpline no.s: +91 11 2301 2113, +91 11 2301 4104 and +91 11 2301 7905. > Read more

"Blind thrust" quakes are ones that do not break the surface, and tend to be more frequent. These records indicate that the region has a rich history of quakes in the past centuries. > Read more

A magnitude-7.8 earthquake shook Nepal’s capital and the densely populated Kathmandu Valley on Saturday, the worst quake in the Himalayan nation in over 80 years. A look at the world’s strongest earthquakes since 1900. > Read more