Kathmandu, August 2 :

To cope with the rapid and haphazard urbanisation in the valley, the Kathmandu Valley Town Development Committee (KVTDC) has proposed new building bylaws.

“The Building Bylaws for Kathmandu Valley — 2006 has been prepared on the basis of guidelines prepared some three years ago and by revising and changing the outdated standards,” said Indra Bahadur Shrestha, member secretary of the KVTDC.

He said the bylaws would be enforced as soon as the KVTDC board approves it.

The committee has been discussing the proposed bylaw with experts.

The current building bylaws that were enforced 13 years ago cover only the Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) and Lalitpur Sub Metropolitan City. The Bhaktapur, Kirtipur and Madhyapur Thimi municipalities have been using their own draft of bylaws.

“Therefore the building standard differed from one municipality to another,” Shrestha said, adding that the new bylaws would now bring uniformity in the building standards in the entire valley.

Buildings can be constructed 20 metres away from the Bagmati, Bishnumati, Manohara, Hanumante, Khasyangkhusung, Chakhkhu and Dhobikhola rivers.

Similarly, houses cannot be built within 15 metres of Nakkhu, Godavari, Kodku and Karmanasha rivers and 10 metres of Balkhu, Samakhushi, Mahadev, Manamati, Karkhushi, Sipadole, Gundu, Kalka, Tabyakhushi Lele and Bhouchakhushi.

A 5-metre standard has been defined for Tukucha, Ghong and other rivulets.

As per the proposed bylaws, people must build houses six metres away from the Ring Road and one metre away from highways, arterials, connectors, special and feeder roads.

The KVTDC has divided the land use area in 15 different categories.

Shrestha said the standard of the buildings would differ according to the zones. He also said the copies of the bylaws would be sold to the public after the government approves it.

Meanwhile, hte head of the Urban Development Department of the Kathmandu Metropolitan City, Devendra Dongol, criticised the proposed bylaws saying that the same cannot be implemented that as they were drafted without preparing the land use map and studying the urban development trend. “They did not consult us while making the bylaws,” he said.