Aug. 8, Pokhara, The Pokhara Metropolitan City (PMC) is going to implement a system to better manage its physical assets, focusing on roads and drainage in the initial phase, under the World Bank-funded NUGIP project. The basic objective of the project is to enhance the sustainability of the built physical infrastructure in the city.

An international consulting company ICEM, a national consulting company Geoce, the technical human resources of the PMC, and the Department of Urban Development and Building Construction (DUDBC) are currently involved in the participatory development of web-based software, named RAMS (Road Asset Management System), which can be accessed by anyone with an Android-based mobile phone.

Once finalized and implemented, the technicians of the PMC can inspect and assess the condition of roads and drains within the city, and input the data from the site, which will be immediately updated in the central database of the PMC and can be viewed in the form of live spatial maps and asset inventories.

Then necessary decisions can be made on the severity of the damages to the assets and priority can be set for the planned periodic maintenance activities of the municipality, and the budget allocated accordingly.

Inaugurating the field-based training program in Pokhara today, the Mayor of PMC Mr. Dhana Raj Acharya expressed his commitment to implement RAMS successfully. The Chief Administrative Officer of PMC Mr. Birendra Giri stated that the implementation of RAMS will enhance the current asset management capabilities of PMC. He also informed that the PMC is struggling to properly manage its assets due to a lack of inventory of the transportation facilities in the city.

Speaking on the same occasion, Mr. Jonas Parby from the World Bank announced that the Bank is committed to assisting the PMC in the sustainability of RAMS by technically and financially supporting RAMS implementation through NUGIP which is expected to continue until 2025.  The success of RAMS in Pokhara will be replicated in other Nepal municipalities.

The Project Director of the NUGIP Mr. Rabindra Bohara informed the attendees that regular proactive maintenance plays a crucial role in the sustainability of the physical infrastructure, and hence the DUDBC is committed to the successful implementation of RAMS at PMC. The Team Leader of ICEM Dr. Jeremy Carew-Reid expressed his pleasure at the high level of support from the World Bank, PMC, DUDBC, and other line agencies involved in the development of RAMS.