Protesters accuse government contractors of using cheap materials

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as Nepal marks the third anniversary of the tremor, which damaged more than half a million homes and other buildings, local groups are protesting over what they see as a lack of transparency in the reconstruction process and the use of unconventional materials to rebuild heritage sites.

In December, the reconstruction of Rani Pokhari, or the Queen's Pond, a 17th century landmark, was halted after conservationists found that the contractor was using cement instead of traditional materials. At Bungamati, an ancient town on the southern outskirts of Kathmandu, locals have complained that contractors rebuilding three temples have not faithfully followed original designs.

Conservationists and members of the indigenous Newar people, who are patrons of the temples and live close by, worry that the government is flouting international heritage standards because of pressure to rebuild quickly. Some say that could prompt the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization to delist some of Nepal's four World Heritage sites, which would deal a blow to tourism.

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The Chinese government is paying for the reconstruction of a nine-story former palace in Kathmandu's Durbar Square.
The Chinese government is paying for the reconstruction of a nine-story former palace in Kathmandu's Durbar Square. - The number of tourists visiting Nepal has increased from roughly 700,000 in the year before the earthquake to almost 1 million last year, but tourist guides say foreigners tend to avoid Durbar Square because of the rebuilding work. "It has had an impact on tourists. For example, Chinese tourists want to post their photos to WeChat, but the ruins don't make a good background," said Dhruba Paudel, a veteran guide. Dipendra Gautam, a structural engineer who has done extensive research on the earthquake, said the campaigners were driven by emotion, but also criticized the government, claiming it had shown a lack of conviction, and defended the use of steel structures in some cases as a way of strengthening vulnerable ancient buildings. "There are two extreme views when it comes to rebuilding traditional architectural sites. We have to choose between emotion and sustainability," Gautam said. "The Malla-era architecture is complicated, but they tend to be top heavy," he added. © Deepak Adhikari