Dharahara covered with tarpaulin to prevent further damage by rain

Kathmandu, August 1

After more than three years of the devastating 2015 earthquakes, which completely destroyed Dharahara, Kathmandu Metropolitan City today covered the remains of the iconic tower with tarpaulin to prevent further damage by rain.

The National Reconstruction Authority has already prepared the design of a new Dharahara as the government had decided to preserve the remains of the original one in a glass enclosure.

What remains of the historic tower has already started crumbling.

Talking to THT KMC Deputy Mayor Khadgi said, “Although Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli had promised to build a new tower, we thought that immediate action was needed to preserve the original one.”

The KMC had demolished around 38 illegal structures, including a fast-food restaurant and fancy stores, built for commercial purpose in Dharahara area.

The NRA on the third anniversary of 2015 earthquakes had said that it would lay the foundation stone for rebuilding Dharahara by the end of the last fiscal. However, not a single brick has been laid so far for rebuilding the tower.

As per the reconstruction plan, the reconstructed historic site will cover 22 ropani land. For this, the NRA will have to acquire around 15 ropani land of General Post Office and additional around three ropani in Sundhara.

As per the reconstruction design, the new tower will be approximately 294 feet tall with two elevators and an underground parking lot.

The tower originally had 18 storeys and was built by the first prime minister of Nepal Bhimsen Thapa in 1825 and rebuilt after being destroyed in the great earthquake of 1934.