> Blueprint approval mandatory in VDCs from next fiscal year
> Errant builders to face action

The government has restricted construction of new buildings taller than two storeys (including ground floor) and has decided not to approve the blueprints of new houses until mid-July.

The Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development took these decisions today, underlining the need for reviewing rules related to building construction.

Individuals who have got their building designs approved from the municipalities and already started the construction would be allowed to build up to two storeys only. Even as it has not imposed any restriction on construction of basements, the ministry officials have said that such basements that are supported only by pillars are relatively unsafe.

In case of those individuals, who have already received the approval of blueprints but are yet to start construction, would not be permitted to start building the house in the current fiscal year, which ends in mid-July. People in earthquake-affected districts can make shelters for immediate use based on the new technologies and models recommended by the MoFALD or the Ministry of Urban Development, while abiding by the set criteria.

Som Lal Subedi, secretary of MoFALD, said the massive damage to the building infrastructures from the earthquake had necessitated the need of amending the building code, which is expected to be reviewed within two months. “We will resume blueprint approval based on the new building code from the next fiscal year,” said Subedi.

Even though municipalities under MoFALD are the bodies that give approval for blueprints, it is the urban development ministry that holds the responsibility for changing the building code.

MoFALD has said it has become necessary to review the set criteria for urban development and building construction, building code, building construction directive and related policies to construct safe buildings.

Since there has been huge damage in rural areas too, today’s Deputy Prime Minister-level decision approved implementation of building construction guidelines in village development committees to promote construction of safer houses. This will require rural people from all 3,276 VDCs to get blueprints approved for constructing homes.

From the next fiscal year, MoFALD will target to implement building code compulsorily in all 191 municipalities. It was also decided today to take action against the officials approving blueprints and issuing permits for building construction by flouting the law.

The government is also mulling over making public the list of contractors who constructed buildings without getting the blueprints approved, names of private sector designers who prepared blueprints of buildings that suffered damages and names of the government officials who issued approvals for such buildings.

Subedi said the ministry was cracking down on wrongdoers to dissuade anyone from engaging in such malpractices in the future.

To take action against engineers from private sector, the government has planned to prepare the details of such engineers who were involved in designing and construction of faulty structures and recommend Nepal Engineering Council to take action against them.

Immediately after the decision, the MoFALD also issued a directive to all 75 district development committees and municipalities to follow its instructions.

Govt directive
• No blueprint approval and permission to construct houses above two storeys until mid-July
• Earthquake resilient and eco-friendly shelters for immediate use promoted
• Walls built violating criteria and right of ways to be demolished at the earliest
• High priority accorded for making streets and roads accessible to fire brigades
• No joint housing and land plotting projects to receive permission until mid-July
• Immediately start process to take action against officials approving blueprints illegally
• Joint housing design permit from the next fiscal based on soil tests and soil bearing capacity
• Implementation of building construction guideline in VDCs from the next fiscal
• Integrated development approach in reconstruction of areas destroyed by the earthquake
• Govt to lease only those buildings that have followed construction norms to set up its offices

source: the himalayan times,19 may 2015