‘An attack on our heritage’: lowest bidders threaten Nepal’s earthquake-hit historical sites

Caretaker Deepak Shrestha padlocked shut the quake-ravaged remains of the Trailokya Mohan Narayan temple in Nepal’s capital Kathmandu to keep out the contractors who are meant to be rebuilding it.

Shrestha, whose family has looked after the Hindu temple for generations, is now on a mission to protect it from a government system that grants contracts to rebuild the quake-damaged heritage sites to the lowest bidder.

“We had our doubts about the contractors but it was confirmed when they started digging the foundations haphazardly, disregarding the community’s involvement and our sacred rituals,” Shrestha, 56, said. “We don’t believe the cheapest contractors will rebuild our temple sincerely. We demand that the government dismiss such a system.”

The temple was among more than 700 heritage sites damaged in the disaster which killed nearly 9,000 people and destroyed half a million homes.

Nepal’s laws state that construction contracts valued at more than 500,000 rupees (US$4,703) must be granted through a tender process to the lowest bidder – and the same rules govern the restoration of ancient temples and buildings.