Kathmandu, July 4

The Kathmandu Metropolitan City office is flooded with complaints regarding pollution caused by the ongoing work on road expansion and water pipeline installation.

According to KMC, people are registering complaints, saying roads had turned muddy due to delay in repair of roads dug up for laying water pipelines.  “KMC has been flooded with complaints regarding muddy roads and increased dust pollution in the city,” Information Officer at KMC Basanta Acharya told THT. He, however, said KMC alone could not rid the people of the problems because of multi-sector participation in the projects.

“The roads are being dug up by Melamchi Water Supply Project, while at the same time the Department of Roads is widening roads in the Valley. We don’t have the right to stop them from carrying out their work,” Acharya added.

According to KMC, people are registering complaints from ward level to the metropolitan office. Most of the complaints are about unmanaged roads, increased air pollution and garbage woes, among others. People have also taken to social networking sites to post pictures of muddy and inundated roads.

Kathmandu Valley Development Authority said 300 km roads had been widened so far, while about 200 km have yet to be upgraded.

Kathmandu Valley Road Improvement Project had resumed expansion of 53 kilometres of road segments in Kathmandu Valley in July last year. The project had started widening Tripureshwor-Kalanki, Chabahil-Jorpati-Sankhu, Jorpati-Sundarijal, Lagankhel-Satdobato, Imadol-Siddhipur-Godawari, Karmanasa-Harisiddhi, Dholahiti-Sunakothi-Chapagaun and Nakkhu-Bhaisepati-Bungamati stretches.

Similarly, Melamchi Water Supply Project had begun pipeline installation in Kathmandu Valley since last year. The project has expedited construction work and installation of distribution channel aiming to supply water to Kathmandu denizens as soon as possible.