India helps Nepal get testing technology for earthquake-resistant houses

Nov 30, 2021

Lalitpur (Nepal), Nov 30 (ANI): In a major breakthrough to its earthquake-preparedness, Nepal has unveiled its first `shock table testing facility’ in Lalitpur. Built with assistance from India and the United Nations Development Programme, the facility at Tribhuvan University Institute of Engineering will help the nation in building homes in the regions that are vulnerable to seismic activities. The facility will also enhance Nepal’s research and academic capabilities towards constructing safe buildings. The Government of India engaged several international organisations with the project in March 2018 to provide socio-technical facilitation and consultation services to 50,000 earthquake-affected households. The shock table testing facility is expected to be instrumental in identifying appropriate retrofitting technologies that will be needed to make Nepal's traditional houses safer and resilient. As part of the reconstruction process initiated after the 2015 mega-earthquake, over 50,000 private houses have been constructed in Gorkha and Nuwakot with Indian aid.