KMC unveils plan to build a sustainable, resilient metro

Kathmandu, January 2

The Office of Kathmandu Metropolitan City has floated an ambitious and a comprehensive plan for making the metropolis a sustainable and resilient city.

The plan recently made public by KMC chief Rudra Singh Tamang sets specific goals for making the capital city a better and safer place to live in. As per the plan, the KMC will operate electric and large vehicles and construct multi-storey and underground parking lots to manage the city’s chaotic traffic.

“The metropolis aspires to redevelop the city through land-pooling and house-pooling methods,” read the plan. It has also announced long-term goal of developing a National Bus Park of international standard to discourage parking of vehicles along the Ring Road, besides making installation of rooftop solar panels mandatory for building permit.

The KMC said it will coordinate with Nepal Police to create environment for operation of night businesses by installing solar lights and CCTV cameras.

KMC chief Tamang has pledged to use organic waste produced in the city to generate electricity under the ‘Waste to Energy Programme’ to free Kathmandu from load-shedding woes. “We also have a plan to build durable, dust-free and disabled-friendly footpaths and to plant trees on either side of the roads for greenery. The road expansion drive will continue as per the plan of the government,” he said.

On post-earthquake reconstruction, the metropolis is making necessary preparations to rebuild heritage sites damaged or destroyed by the earthquakes of April and May. KMC said works were already underway to develop Integrated Ratna Park and Rani Pokhari.

It is also working on construction of adequate number of public toilets, bathhouses and standard eateries, waste-water treatment, river cleaning, disaster preparedness measures and management of crematorium, among others, to make Kathmandu a model capital city in the world.