Gajendra Maharjan, Mayor of Godawari Municipality acknowledges the contribution of Parya Sampada projects in promoting and preserving the cultural heritage. Speaking over the official handover program of HRP, organized by Lumanti, he stated that these plans are a clear blueprint for prioritizing the programs, allocation of budget and formation of policy targeting to preserve tangible and intangible heritages of Godawari.

Mayor of Godawari Municipality giving his remarks on HRP

Lumanti, an implementing agency of Parya Sampada projects minutely carry on the feasibility study regarding the cultural sites of Thecho, Thaiba and Chapagaun within ward No 12, 14 and 11 respectively. Having the sound status of cultural sites, the local people and government couldn’t promote the aesthetic value of cultural heritages due to the budget limitations.

Welcoming the delegates and participants, Lumanti Joshi the Program Manager of Lumanti stated that the detailed study of heritage sites will be the asset and foundation of local government in fostering the cultural sites. “The municipal board should rethink and set the priority to cash the cultural heritages as focusing the mobility of internal and external tourists.” She added.  

A good initiative

Muna Adhikari, Deputy Mayor of Municipality spoke to the program thanks the team for providing a direction for preservation of cultural sites of Godawari. She indicated that though the tenure of local government is about to complete but this plan will guide the system and bureaucracy in the future.  The budget ceiling in preserving the cultural sites and monuments demand more in comparison to other development projects.

Muna Adhikari, Deputy Mayor of Godawari Municipality, giving her thoughts on HRP

Minimizing threats to heritage site

Jagannath Maharjan, ward chairperson of Godawari -14 explained that despite limited financial and technical resources in ward, we are running a series of discussion programs among officials from Department of Archaeology, local authorities, and stakeholders for minimizing the threats on sustainability of the heritages in Godawari.

Both tangible and intangible cultural heritages possess historical values resulting from their beautiful architecture and their correlation with the history of human civilization along with religious, social, economic and political aspects.

Senior Programme Officer, UN-Habitat, highlighting on importance of coordination on conservation of Cultural Heritage

Talking to the program, Prabin Bajracharya, Senior Programme Officer of UN-Habitat indicated that the Heritage Recovery Plans are the initial track for prioritizing the plan and programs of the local government. He stated that the entire construction of tangible heritages demands huge budget, skilled craftsmanship, labors involved with reviving old heritages where three tier government and respective agencies must have close coordination for betterment of cultural heritages. 

The Parya Sampada projects in support of European Union and Switch Asia, is currently working on 10 heritage settlements program in Kathmandu Valley.