Kathmandu, July 19

The Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development has directed executive officers of all metropolitan cities and municipalities in Kathmandu Valley to construct, repair and protect local roads as envisioned by the Constitution of Nepal.

A circular issued by Planning Section under the MoFALD today asked executive officers to take leadership in filling potholes and repairing roads that fall under their domain.

“It is not good to see and hear water-logging taking a toll on pedestrians. Valley roads have been impassable due to the lack of surface runoff of rainwater,” read the circular.

Water-logging has blocked roads leading to traffic disruption and pedestrians are forced to wade through flooded streets. The MoFALD partially blamed water-logging on solid waste thrown into the sewerage system.

“We strongly urge the executive officers to remove waste clogging the drainage system besides clearing the debris

piling on roads and footpaths,” it said. Frequent digging of roads for construction work and the tendency of leaving them unrepaired for long have also added to obstruction of water flow.

The roads lack drains of adequate capacity for easy flow of rainwater during monsoon.

Drainage system usually gets clogged with waste, plastic and debris. The MoFALD has also directed the executive officers to accord high priority to recent directives of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and the secretary-level meeting while fixing broken roads.

It has asked officials to cause the concerned contractors to manage debris generated from road digging besides clearing the footpaths encroached by vendors and removing construction materials piled up by house owners or builders.