A US$1.5 million USAID-funded IOM project
to clear rubble in the earthquake devastated capital of
Pakistan-administered Kashmir has cleared 40,000 cubic feet of
debris in less than a week.

The project, launched in April at eight sites
in the city's once bustling Old Madina Market, plans to remove an
estimated 16 million cubic feet of rubble over the next nine
months.

With 40 local labourers, eight
tractor-trolleys and one dozer already deployed, local
administrators and residents are optimistic that the scheme will
help the devastated town to start to return to normality.

"The project will really help us with the
master plan being hammered out for reconstruction of the city on
modern lines," says Zahid Amin, administrator of the Sanitation
Department of the Muzaffarabad Municipal Corporation.

"The task is huge and quite tough with narrow
lanes making it sometimes impossible for the dump trucks to access
the rubble sites," explains project coordinator, David Savard.

"We started the project with two
tractor-trolleys and 10 workers, but we eventually aim to deploy 40
tractor-trolleys, three loaders and a dozen dump trucks to haul
away the debris," he adds.

People planning to rebuild their houses have
also started approaching IOM with requests to clear the rubble from
streets and building sites.

"I am very grateful for this help to clear up
this mess in front of my house," says former Muzaffarabad
Development Authority official, Riffat Chaudhry. "My children roam
in the streets and I was really worried about them before the
debris was removed."

For more information, please contact:

Saleem Rehmat

IOM Pakistan.

Tel. +92.300.856.5967

Email: "mailto:srehmat@iom.int" target="_blank" title=
"">srehmat@iom.int