The Kathmandu Metropolitan City has introduced a system of third-party verification in construction of buildings to monitor the overall structure from the start and supervise the building owners.

In the absence of proper monitoring mechanism, building contractors and owners have been flouting the construction regulations, prompting the KMC to introduce the system to ensure that the buildings are constructed adhering to the set guidelines.

 “Most of the people were taking permits to construct houses till a certain level, but they ended up adding more floors without our consent.” said Narendra Raj Shrestha, chief of Urban Development Department at the KMC.

The KMC has appointed engineering firms registered under the Nepal Engineering Council  for the job.

“These engineers will give us the report on the construction of new houses. They will monitor whether the houses are structurally safe or not” said Shrestha. As per  the new regulation, the engineers will inspect the Damp Proofing Course (DPC) of the buildings after the construction permit and the maps have been registered at the KMC. The building owners will receive the permission to construct the ground floor only after the engineers have submitted their report. For every floor construction, the engineers will have to submit report to the KMC after a thorough inspection.  The KMC will certify the building only after the final construction report has been submitted. Without certification the building cannot be used as collateral for loan, nor will the KMC offer services like waste collection.

source: the kathmandu post,2 may 2014