‘Deploy army at valley entry checkposts, ease lockdown’

KATHMANDU: Kathmandu Valley Municipality Forum, an umbrella organisation of all local governments in the valley, has called for easing prohibitory orders in place in the valley and using Nepali Army personnel at the valley’s entry points to secure the valley.

Earlier, the forum had also imposed its own lockdown and halted all non-emergency works of local governments until August 31. All the municipal works will now resume from Thursday.

A meeting of the forum held on Tuesday also suggested that the government re-introduce vehicle rationing system, with odd number vehicles plying on odd dates and even number vehicles on even dates. It was suggested that public vehicles remain off the roads until September 16.

The forum consists of two metropolitan cities, 16 municipalities and four rural municipalities.

Madan Sundar Shrestha, mayor of Madhyapur Thimi Municipality, who is also the secretary of the forum, said the government, however, needed to impose strict health and safety protocols after lifting prohibitory orders.

A version of this article appears in e-paper on September 9, 2020, of The Himalayan Times.