Kathmandu, June 24:

The Kathmandu Valley Town Development Committee (KVTDC) said today it will take charge of demolishing structures built illegally on the premises of the New Bus Park at Gongabu from Tuesday if the task of demolishing the structures is not completed by tomorrow.

The Lhotse Multipurpose Pvt Ltd (LMPL), which built the structures at the bus park, had demanded that it be given a week to demolish all such structures. The LMPL has begun dismantling the structures.

Dr Bhaikajee Tiwari, a town controller at the KVTDC, said, “”We had begun demolishing structures built within a distance of 20 meters from the Bishnumati river a week ago. We stopped demolishing the structures a week ago after the LMPL said it will raze the structures in a week.”

“We will swing into action from Tuesday if the LMPL fails to demolish all the structures lying within the 20-metre distance, including a two-storey building, by tomorrow,” he said. “The Bishnumati corridor will now be cleared all along the bus park and above it.”

The KVTDC initiated the demolition drive after a complaint was lodged at the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority. The complaint stated that the LMPL, which has taken the New Bus Park on lease for 45 years, has been constructing commercial structures within a distance of 20 metres from the Bishnumati river.

According to Bhairav Bogati, an engineer at the Public Works Division of the Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC), said the KMC had requested the LMPL to demolish all the structures that were built by violating the agreement made with the KMC.

He further said that locals and consumers have also taken initiatives to demolish the structures built illegally by the LMPL.

Chief of the Metropolitan Police of the KMC Dhanapati Sapkota said the metropolitan police had helped the authorities demolish the illegally-built structures, but it withdrew as the LMPL said it will demolish the structures on its own.