Shoddy construction practices, the use of sub-standard material, and non-compliance with the existing Building Code have been cited as major reasons for the great number of lives lost in the April 25 earthquake.
Nepal’s private sector construction companies have pledged to play a more proactive role in ensuring strict compliance with the country’s new National Building Code, recently endorsed by the Government of Nepal.
Speaking at a programme organised by the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) on August 5, the companies said that that April 25 earthquake had been an “eye-opener” for many about the importance of safe construction practice. In the aftermath of the quake, many independent experts have pointed to shoddy construction practices, the use of sub-standard material, and non-compliance with the existing Building Code as some of the major reasons behind the great number of lives lost.
The discussion programme -- supported by UNDP’s Comprehensive Disaster Risk Management Programme (CDRMP), which works to strengthen institutional capacities and legislative framework for disaster risk management in Nepal -- primarily focussed on the role of the private sector in ensuring resilience to future disasters through effective implementation of the National Building Code. This was the first occasion on which the Nepali private sector had gathered to discuss how they could contribute to Nepal’s recovery.
“While there are many challenges in reconstruction the nation, the earthquake has also presented us with opportunities to rebuild and develop the nation,” said Ramraj Narasimhan, advisor of the CDRMP project and a UNDP representative.
The April 25 earthquake and its subsequent aftershocks damaged at least half a million houses beyond repair across the country. The role of the construction industry will be pivotal in the coming months and years as reconstruction of these damaged homes and buildings takes pace.
“The rebuilding process must go hand-in-hand with building a new Nepal,” said Ram Sharan Deuja, general secretary of the Federation of Contractors Association of Nepal (FCAN). “There are challenges, like the lack of sufficient building materials, but this disaster has also provided us with a golden opportunity to transform livelihoods.”