Experts have stressed on the need to seriously assess the sustainability and environmental impacts of high-rises by regulators before giving permission for construction.

“Apartment buildings are being constructed on slopes, river banks and similar structurally vulnerable places, and there is an absence of a checking mechanism by the regulator regarding the building’s safety,” said architect Dr Prem Nath Maskey during an interaction programme on High-Rise Apartments held by Blue Coffee Company, today.

He pointed out that regulators –– Kathmandu Metropolitan City, Development and Building Construction, or Town Development Authority –– need to evaluate such construction projects to see whether enough has been done for any disaster risk management, and certify whether the building is safe for inhabitation or not.

Environmentalist Ajay Bhakta Mathema stressed on the importance of Environmental Impact Assessment and Initial Environmental Examination reports that any project needs to prepare and submit to the Town Development Authority before starting the construction of the buildings.

“The purpose of the assessment is to ensure that decision makers consider the ensuing environmental impacts when deciding whether to proceed with a project so that all stakeholders can benefit including developers,” he said.

He emphasised that the impact of high-rises on utility crunch such as water supply, electricity supply, and drainage among others also need to be recognised.

With the exploding urban population in Nepal, more and more apartment buildings have been springing up in Kathmandu. However, Nepal being located in seismically active zones, the safety of apartment buildings have to be taken seriously.

source: The Himalayan Times,1 September 2012