image005Building and Construction Expo 2073 kicked off on Friday at Bhrikutimandap in Kathmandu with an objective of educating the public on building construction and post-quake reconstruction. The program was inaugurated by Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Ramesh Lekhak. The four-day exhibition aimed at disseminating information related to construction equipment, materials, products and building codes mandated by the government. The visitors also obtained information related to sustainable construction. Organisers said the event provided answers related to queries and concerns related to construction and reconstruction. The event was jointly organised by YCNC, Nepal Engineers’ Association (NEA), Society of Nepalese Architects (SONA) and Society of Consulting Architectural & Engineering Firms (SCAEF). The exhibition had 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. Many new and innovative firms with unique cost cutting ideas were 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. Visitors also had opportunity to update themselves on available range on interior-exteriors decors. Various paint companies had kept their stalls portraying the new range of colouring options while interiors dealers and designers were also showcasing products from various renowned global brands and educating the people. The organisers saw more than 100,000 visitors in the exhibition which concluded on Monday.