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Earthquake-stricken Nepal bans new house construction until mid-July

Xinhua, May 19, 2015 Adjust font size:

The Nepalese government has decided to impose a ban on the construction of new houses across the country till the end of the current fiscal year which falls on July 15, while the restriction on the building of new homes will continue until it comes up with a new building code and other necessary policies and regulations.

The decision was made at a meeting chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Federal Affairs and Local Development Prakash Man Singh on Monday, the Republica daily newspaper reported on Tuesday.

The destructive quake on April 25 and aftershocks have claimed more than 8,600 lives and left more than 100,000 others injured, according to the latest update of the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Tens of thousands of people are forced to live in tents and other temporary shelters under the open sky as nearly 760,000 houses have been destroyed or damaged across the Himalayan country.

Under the decision, all municipalities and district development committees are required not to issue permits for the construction of new buildings until July 15, and those who have got the design of their buildings approved but are yet to begin construction will be barred from carrying out the construction work until the government introduces the new building code.

People who have started building their houses can go ahead with the construction, but they will be allowed build only up to two stories, said ministry spokesperson Purna Chandra bhattarai.

The ministry has warned that the government would take strong legal action against those found violating the ban.

The Nepalese government is expected to amend several existing policies related to building construction.

The government has also banned land plotting for housing and construction of high-rise apartments across the country until a new land use plan comes into implementation.

"Land plotting was rampant across the country in the past. But none of the developments adhered to by-laws of the government for housing," Bhattarai said, quoted by the English-language newspaper. Endi