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Building and Construction Expo kicks off in Capital
Building and Construction Expo 2073 kicked off on Friday at Bhrikutimandap in Kathmandu with an objective of educating the general public on building construction and post-quake reconstruction.Building and Construction Expo 2073 kicked off on Friday at Bhrikutimandap in Kathmandu with an objective of educating the general public on building construction and post-quake reconstruction.
Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Ramesh Lekhak inaugurated the event.
The four-day exhibition aims at disseminating information related to construction equipment, materials, products and building codes mandated by the government. The visitors will also obtain information related to sustainable construction.
Organisers said the event will prove helpful to address the queries and concerns related to construction and reconstruction. “We have organised the fair focusing on reconstruction,” said Birendra Raj Pande, president of the Youth Community for Nepalese Contractors (YCNC). “The event will prove helpful to people who want to gain all the required information related to construction.”
The event has been jointly organised by YCNC, Nepal Engineers’ Association (NEA), Society of Nepalese Architects (SONA) and Society of Consulting Architectural & Engineering Firms (SCAEF).
The exhibition has around 150 stalls from real estate dealers, cement manufacturers, furniture and finishing, pipe and fittings, electronic and electric materials, banks, insurance companies, pre-fabricated housing developers, bricks, marbles, Vastu Shastra, paints, solar power systems, sanitary wares, heavy equipment, interior design, UPVC, and roofing, among others.
“Rather than trying to expand the market we are here to help the visitors to select high quality materials,” said Ramesh Thapa, senior manager at Arghakhanchi Cement.
The exhibition will also run discussion programme on building codes and related policies. The discussions will be conducted by experts in the construction sector and the government officials. According to the organisers, the team will present five working guidelines on post-quake reconstruction, building construction, heritage reconstruction and rehabilitation. “We are to inform the general public on types of soil, quality and other factors which affect the house construction process,” said representatives of Akara Materials, a consulting and lab testing firm.
Many new and innovative firms with unique cost cutting ideas are also present at the expo. “We are focused on providing training and machinery for building bricks at low cost and by utilising local labour and locals of various quake-affected districts,” said Sonal Gupta, representative of Build up Nepal, a non-profit-organisation.
“We have come up with an energy saving, earthquake-resistant, fire and sound proof prefab building product that also provides thermal insulation. The panel is lightweight and provides excellent anti-seismic properties compared to ordinary brick walls and has excellent heat and sound insulation,” said Krishna Duwal, chief executive officer of IDGN which produces Gorkha Eco Panels. Visitors also have an opportunity to update themselves on available range on interior-exteriors decors. Various paint companies have kept their stalls portraying the new range of colouring options while interiors dealers and designers are also showcasing products from various renowned global brands and educating the people.
Paint manufacturers have come up with attractive lucky draw schemes where the customer will get an opportunity to win prizes ranging from motorbikes to 10 tolas of silver. Financial institutions are also present at the event to offer easy home loans and insurance policies. The organisers expect more than 100,000 visitors in the exhibition which concludes on Monday.