Nepal imposes ban on construction of new building projects

Nepal today imposed a two-month ban on the construction of new building projects and limited ongoing construction to two storeys following the deadly earthquakes that destroyed over 2,00,000 homes.
The Ministry of Local Development has also put on hold the approval of new house designs for the same period.
Nepal government imposed a temporary ban on all constructions of houses and buildings, including those which are already under construction or whose maps have been approved for construction before the recent earthquake.
The ban would remain in effect until July 16, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Local Development.

Those structures that were built by violating the existing building codes and those weakened by the recent earthquake and its aftershocks should be immediately demolished, the statement said.
The government would also review the existing building codes and make necessary changes to them. Until then, its decision taken would remain in force, ekantipur.Com reported.

The number of houses destroyed in the last month's quake is over 2,00,000, more than twice the number of households wrecked in the 1934 temblor.
The death toll from the April 25 monster temblor that triggered over 240 aftershocks including the powerful one on May 12 has reached nearly 9,000, making the temblor the deadliest in Nepal's recorded history and killing more people than the 1934 earthquake.

According to the Home Ministry sources, 8,544 dead bodies were handed over to the families of the deceased and 6,269 injured are undergoing treatment.