Building code violations rampant in Pokhara

POKHARA, Nov 26: There is growing tendency among the people in the tourist city of Pokhara to violate building code and regulations while constructing buildings in recent times as authorities turn a blind eye to such illegal construction.



The building laws of the City Development Committee and Sub Metropolitan Office of Pokhara restricts construction of houses over three stories and cannot be higher taller 37 and the construction must be in accordance to the approved building blue prints.[break]

 

However, recent constructions in the main business areas of the city have seen houses that are five or even six stories tall with even the city officials involved in such constructions.



According to Purna Bahadur Gurung, Engineer at Pokhara Sub Metropolitan Office, building code violation and breach of laws were rampant in the city.

Recently completed six-storied house of former Chief of Pokhara City Development Office Bishnu Bastola and five-storied house of Taken Giri, member of political mechanism of Pokhara Sub Metropolitan Office, in New Road area clearly exemplifies the unconcerned attitudes towards laws and regulations.



“I was given unnecessary hassles, when I had reached Pokhara Sub Metropolitan Office demanding the required temporary map to construct my house. They didn´t give me the legal papers in the first place,” said a local Dashrath Sunar.



“Later they settled the issue internally when I complained how common people like me are abused easily and people in power like Bishnu Bastola could play with the law without any restrictions,” he added.



Gurung informed that constructions of apartment houses had increased in New Road area and only a few of them were adhering to the legal criteria.



“When authorities are turning a blind eye to the problem, illegally constructed buildings are going up one after the other in New Road which has disfigured the beautiful city as well as caused huge loss of taxes to the government,” said Gurung.



Pokhara Sub Metropolitan Office is allowed to collect tax only from those buildings which have received official approval for the whole construction procedure.



“Since there are only a few houses and building constructed under the norms of the authorities, every year huge amount of tax money goes to waste,” said an officer of the Pokhara Sub Metropolitan Office.



The legal criteria for the construction of buildings were made with the vulnerable geo-physical structure of the Pokhara city in mind, informed Gurung.



“Construction of a tall building could be fatal for both the building owner and the people around it because it stands on weak grounds. With the increasing number of constructions, the situation has worsened,” said Gurung.



Admitting to the widespread breach of laws and regulations, Ananta Prasad Koirala, spokesperson for Pokhara Sub Metropolitan Office, claimed that the situation was the result of lack of strong mechanism to monitor and control the abuse of the legal procedures required for the construction of buildings.

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