Kathmandu, June 1

Last Wednesday, heavy rain hit Kathmandu valley at around 8:00 pm. Soon after, the road stretch at Tinkune area near Koteshwor got water-logged.

Water level in some sections of the road rose upto one foot, leading to traffic congestion, obstructing vehicular movement for at least two hours.

By around 10:00 pm, the traffic jam stretched from Tinkune to Lokanthali.

On the same day, the rainfall that lasted for half-an-hour inundated the inner city of Patan and Lalitpur, halting vehicular movement for hours, adding to the woes of pedestrians.

Kathmandu Metropolitan City, in mid-September last year, had initiated a programme to clean blocked drainage canals throughout the city.

A total of five jet machines with 130 horse power engine were employed for sewage cleaning in many places of the city.

This year too, KMC has decided to conduct a sewage cleaning campaign. KMC has also formed a rapid action team to clear blocked sewage throughout the metropolis.

A meeting chaired by Kedar Neupane, the head executive officer of KMC took the decision.

Officials at the Department of Road and Road Division Office, Kathmandu, also expressed commitment to support the programme.

The meeting concluded that the main reason for inundation of the road stretch in Tinkune was the ongoing construction work at Tribhuvan International Airport. TIA, has been carrying out construction work to widen its area.

KMC says that mud and mortar from TIA premises was carried by the rain water, blocking sewage in Koteshwor and Tinkune areas.

The department of Disaster Management at KMC has also started river cleaning campaign to control possible overflow of rivers, this monsoon. Rabin Man Shrestha head of the department told THT that they cleaned Dhobi Khola, a river that flows through KMC.

“We are now undertaking a cleaning campaign of Tukucha Khola and Samakhusi River. We hope homes in these areas will not be filled with river water, this monsoon,” according to Shrestha.

There are above half a dozen small and large rivers that pass through KMC like Bagmati, Bishnumati and Manohara.

Shrestha said that sand, plastic and other waste accumulated in the river for a year get washed away during the monsoon, blocking their narrow passage.

“If these waste are not cleared on time, the rivers overflow, inundating residential areas,” he said, adding that KMC will be prepared for the monsoon.