Building code being implemented

 Damauli, July 18: Construction of houses in line with the national building code has started in Byas Municipality in Tanahun district. With this, Byas has become the country’s fifth municipality to implement the building code.

The municipality has already trained 70 persons to construct earthquake resistant houses. The building code will be implemented in all 11 wards, said Executive Officer of Byas Municipality Ram Chandra Tiwari, adding that houses will be constructed in accordance with the earthquake resistant technology.

Nepal lies in the 11th position in the list of most vulnerable countries of the world in terms earthquake hazard. The building code ensures that structures possess minimum strength to withstand minor earthquakes without damage; resist moderate earthquakes without significant structural damage and withstand a major earthquake without collapse.

The code also provides guidance in selection of materials, special features of design and construction for earthquake resistant buildings including masonry construction.

Meanwhile, Pokhara based entrepreneurs, traders, hoteliers and commoners have expressed mixed reactions over the new budget.

Chairman of the Hotel Association of Nepal (HAN), Western Region, Biplav Poudel, said the budget is not encouraging as it has not incorporated the programmes for tourism sector’s development.

He said the budget is silent over the budget allocation for the construction of the regional level international airport in Pokhara despite the finance minister’s announcement that such an airport will be constructed in Pokhara.

Former chair of Pokhara Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Dipak Shrestha, said the budget is distributive. However, he said the budget has given some relief for housing and realty sector and stressed for the proper implementation of such relief programmes.

Business leader Ramesh Karmacharya said the budget has discriminated the banking sector and cooperative and also expressed doubt over the implementation of the budget.

Likewise, general secretary of the Lekhnath Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Laxmi Tripathi, said the budget failed to manage programmes for the industrial security.

However, local Krishna Prasad Baral expressed happiness for giving special emphasis to cooperative and said that monitoring mechanism should be developed for effective implementation of the budget’s targets.

 

 

 

Source:The Rising Nepal