A statement issued by the Balkumari Community Protection Committee, which has taken the lead to organise the meeting, has stated that the committee was compelled to stage protests as the authorities concerned failed to address their demand. “People living in more than five apartments are in regular touch with us,” said Ganesh Man Singh Karki, president of the committee. The panel was formed to press the government to either repair or pull down high-rise buildings which are damaged by the April 25 Great Earthquake and its aftershocks and

have posed a threat to nearby houses.

Karki said the meeting will help them unite further and pressurise the government to make their residence secure.

Meanwhile, the committee members met Urban Development Minister Dr Narayan Khadka and informed the minister about the risk posed by the high-rise buildings. They also told the minister that the government has remained apathetic to the risk posed by those buildings at a time when aftershocks continue to rock the nation. They also said that the technology to demolish such high-rise buildings is not available in the country.

Though the Department of Urban Development and Building Construction has already asked the high-rise towers to cover the buildings with net, most property developers are yet to abide by the directive. Karki said they also plan to incorporate people who have been rendered homeless after the apartment buildings sustained damages.