Kathmandu, June 14

Dumping of construction materials on roads and pavements is all-pervasive in Kathmandu Valley. Apart from causing inconvenience to pedestrians and motorists, it also has an adverse impact on the city’s environment.

Bearing in mind this scenario, traffic police in association with Lalitpur Metropolitan City have launched a crackdown on people dumping construction materials on roads and pavements.

Inspector Sitaram Hachhethu, in-charge of Metropolitan Traffic Police Circle, Satdobato said traffic police used an excavator to get rid of sand and pebbles that hampered hassle-free movement of pedestrians and vehicles in different places of the city today. “We cleared the roads and pavements of such construction materials at Jhamsikhel, Bhanimandal, Jawalakhel and Kumaripati and seized three truckloads of sand and pebbles. The confiscated construction materials have been turned over to the LMC,” he informed.

Inspector Hachhethu said the crackdown follows the directive of Minister for Home Affairs Janardan Sharma, Inspector General of Police Prakash Aryal and Valley traffic police in-charge DIG Mingmar Lama to ensure that no one dumped construction materials causing inconvenience to motorists and pedestrians.

“If anyone is caught dumping construction materials on the road and pavement for second time, he/she will be penalised with fine as per the existing laws. The crackdown will continue,” warned Inspector Hachhethu.

Chief District Officer of the concerned district may impose a fine ranging from Rs 10,000 to 50,000 or a jail sentence of up to three months or both on an offender under Section 30 of Solid Waste Management Act, 2011.

Existing laws do not allow allow house owners and builders to dump construction material on roads or pavements for more than a few hours, that too without causing obstruction to pedestrians and vehicles. If they fail to remove construction materials within the stipulated time-frame, the competent authority will initiate action against the guilty.