Kathmandu, December 18

The Department of Urban Development and Building Construction under the Ministry of Urban Development has published ‘The Design Catalogue For Reconstruction of Earthquake-Resistant Houses’.

The design catalogue is a document prepared to provide rural households clear guideline regarding earthquake-resistant construction techniques and help them design their houses in compliance with the National Building Code.

The design catalogue was developed, keeping in mind the devastation caused by the April 25 earthquake and its aftershocks, which had left thousands of families homeless.

According to the document, the primary objective of the design catalogue is to ensure that earthquake-affected households build houses that are safe, adequate and affordable.

It provides a variety of options in terms of cost, size, layout, and typology.

However, it is not mandatory for households to select a design from the catalogue, and they are free to prepare house designs outside of it but such designs must comply with the NBC.

The government has already endorsed the ‘Procedure on Distribution of Grant for Reconstruction of Houses Fully Damaged in Earthquake, 2015’, paving the way for providing a maximum Rs 200,000 to the earthquake victims in three installments for reconstruction of their houses.

The earthquakes had caused widespread damage to houses. A figure by the government indicates that 602,257 houses were fully damaged and 285,099 others were damaged partially.

The designs provided in the catalogue cover four broad categories of building materials and typology in compliance with the NBC. They include stone and mud mortar masonry, brick and mud mortar masonry, stone and cement mortar masonry, and brick and cement mortar masonry.

Once a design is selected, this can be used by the household as part of the building permit application process, read the document.