Kathmandu, March 29:

The Kathmandu Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) and the Earthquake and Mega cities Initiatives (EMI), Japan, have launched a year-long Disaster Risk Reduction Master Plan.

Devendra Dongol, senior planner and head of the urban development department at the KMC, said, “Though there is not enough land in the Kathmandu Valley, haphazard construction of buildings in small spaces has been going on.”

With the objective of discouraging the unplanned construction of buildings, the KMC has been carrying out a study. Kathmandu will turn into a slum city in 15 years if haphazard construction of buildings is not controlled, Dongol said.

“It will take us around three months to complete a basic first-phase study of the Kathmandu valley. The study will help us prepare a detailed map of the valley,” Dongol said. “A team from the EMI will arrive in three months to conduct a study of areas in the valley that are vulnerable to disasters. The results of the study will also be included in the map.” He said the map will inform the people about the risk of disasters in the area.

“We have a plan to promote the construction of vertical multi-storeyed buildings, which will be affordable to low-income people,” Dongol said. “With the availability of such apartments, people will no longer have to buy chunks of land for construction of houses. As a result, the valley will have more open space.”

The government of Germany has decided to send some experts from the City of Stuttgart to carry out a field study of vulnerable areas in the Valley, Dongol said.