National Society for Earthquake Technology (NSET), with the support of US Agency for International Development (USAID), has trained 55 masons who will assist in the reconstruction plan in Charikot, Dolakha.

The masons who are going to support the reconstruction plans of the government to build new buildings and retrofit old ones are the first batch of over 5,000 masons to be trained soon as part of a long-term effort by USAID and NSET.

The April 25 earthquake damaged more than 85,000 buildings in the 14 most-affected districts and the government has aimed to train 60,000 construction professionals in disaster-resilient building skills to address the shortage of trained workers.

A statement issued by the NSET on Tuesday said the trained masons from Dolakha district would contribute towards the government’s goal of producing adequate number of trained human resources to support the rebuilding initiatives.

The course, organised by Bhimeshwor Municipality in Dolakha, Department of Urban Development and Building Construction and NSET, includes earthquake basics, site selection and building configuration, quality assurance, construction of earthquake-resistant buildings using stone, brick 

and reinforced concrete framed buildings, periodic repair and maintenance; 

and an introduction to seismic retrofitting.