NRA decides to develop integrated settlements in core city areas

Kathmandu, Feb. 7: The National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) and two metropolitan cities in the Kathmandu Valley – Kathmandu and Lalitpur - have agreed to develop integrated settlements in the valley by pooling houses. 

A meeting of the three Wednesday afternoon decided to develop a multi-storey, joint-dwelling system in the dense settlements in the core city areas of the two metropolises. 

The meeting was led by NRA Chief Executive Officer Yuba Raj Bhusal, and mayors of Kathmandu and Lalitpur Bidya Sundar Shakya and Chiribabu Maharjan respectively represented their local government in the meeting. 

The meeting took special note on the delay in the reconstruction of the quake-damaged houses in the inner city areas. Due to the narrow alleys and small land sizes, it is troublesome to transport the construction materials in those areas and build a house as it disturbs the neighbours as well as the movement of the people and vehicles. 

Only 20 per cent of the 100,000 houses damaged by the devastating Gorkha Earthquake 2015 have been reconstructed so far, and the construction of the rest of the houses has not begun even after more than two-and-a-half years of the disaster. 

“The delay in the house construction in the two large cities of the country, including the capital, has drawn our concern. Therefore, after consultation with the local governments, we have decided to implement the house pooling system in the cities,” said Bhusal. 

The meeting has formed a 5-member task force, coordinated by the NRA joint-secretary Raju Man Manandhar, to conduct necessary studies. 

According to the NRA, the task force has representatives from the Kathmandu and Lalitpur metropolises and Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD), and former Director General of the Department of Urban Development and Building Construction Surya Bhakta Sangachhe. 

The task force has the mandate to submit a proposal on the modality for the development of the joint-dwelling system in the densely populated core city areas within 15 days. 

It will recommend the areas feasible for house-pooling and development of integrated settlement.

Although there had been much discussion about developing a joint-dwelling system in the Kathmandu Valley in the past two-and-a-half years, there has been zero progress. 

In the immediate aftermath of the quake, people from the inner-city areas of Kathmadu had urged the government to develop quake-resistant integrated houses as per the house pooling concept. 

They even organised a rally from Itumbahal to the KMC Office, Sundhara and submitted a written application to the office. 

But nothing has happened so far although the KMC had allocated Rs. 10 million for detailed study of the project and the locals pledged full cooperation in the construction of integrated houses and even showed their readiness to bear the full reconstruction cost. 

Published in The Rising Nepal Daily on 8 February 2018.