Kathmandu, September 26:

Although a study conducted by the Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) in support of the UNESCO has indicated an alarming situation if a powerful earthquake takes place in the Valley, the Metropolis officials have expected significant reduction in the loss of lives and property if the building code is implemented effectively. According to Kumari Rai, an official at the Disaster Management Unit of the KMC, the study has indicated alarming situation in core city areas like Ason, Indra Chowk and Thamel among others. However, the study also analysed that effective control measures can help reduce the possible loss significantly. If an earthquake as powerful as that of 1934 takes place, some 49,575 out of estimated 98,234 buildings in the city areas will be damaged, affecting some 1,147,732 people during the daytime and 777,795 if it occurs in the night a year later. Some 147,446 people will be injured with around 15,752 deaths in 2006.

Rai said the unit has begun awareness programmes about the impending risk and encourage people to adopt necessary measures to protect themselves from disaster. The old structures at the core areas of the city are especially vulnerable to destruction and they need to be replaced by strong structures with sufficient space. The building damage map shows most of the parts of ward numbers 12,18,19, 20,21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 30, and 31 are vulnerable to greater damage while only some parts of the wards 2, 11, 13, 14 and 29 are vulnerable if a powerful earthquake takes place. Rabindra Poudel, chief of the Building Permit Section under the Urban Development Department of KMC, said the newly introduced building code focuses on further strengthening the structures.

“It will significantly reduce the loss if implemented successfully,” he said. The study was conducted with the help of a tool called RADIUS developed by the UNESCO that estimates the damages analyzing the available data of the metropolis after entering it to the system.

“Though the results do not have independent verifications, the figures help us think about the control measures to reduce the impending loss on time,” Rai said. According to Poudel, the KMC adopted the code after learning a lot from the Lalitpur Sub-Metropolitan City, where the code was introduced some two years ago. With a confusion over the code introduced on August 20, the Building Permit Section has received very few applications as of now.