Bhaktapur municipality has announced fee waiver on building permit application for the earthquake-destroyed houses that would be constructed in a traditional style.

Apart from adopting the traditional designs, the new houses will also have to ensure they are earthquake resistant.

According to the municipality, this is an incentive for the people to go with the traditional style and a relief to the quake victims.

“We want to ensure two things—preserving the traditional houses and ensuring that the new houses meet the earthquake resistant criteria. Hence those people who comply with these two things will get their house designs approved free of cost,” said Kamala Ghimire, acting executive of the municipality.

This means the houses should have the same wooden windows and doors with traditional carving that most of the houses in the city has. The stones will also have to be carved ones with uniform colour. Likewise, the houses around the three world heritage sites—Bhakatpur Durbar Square, Taumadhi Square and Dattatreya Square—should not be taller than 35 feet.

Similarly, houses that have the traditional façade will have to pay only 25 percent while getting their house designs approved.

There is also some offerings for partially damaged houses. Partially damaged houses rebuilt while retaining traditional designs will get 50 percent discount when approving the designs.

The earthquakes of April 25 and May 12  had destroyed 6,4,11 houses in Bhaktapur municipality.