KATHMANDU, SEPTEMBER 18
The Patan High Court has issued an interim order asking Kathmandu Metropolitan City not to demolish buildings constructed by encroaching the Tukucha Khola.
Court's registrar Thagindra Kattel said Justice Topendra Bahadur stayed the demolition acting on a writ petition filed by Bhola Bikram Thapa on behalf of President Travels and Tours Private Limited.
On September 15, a KMC team was able to locate a segment of the Tukucha Khola beneath the premises of Jai Nepal Cinema Hall. The local government has identified two more localities under which the khola (rivulet) flows.
The encroachment is so intense that some segments of the khola between Narayanhiti Durbar Museum and Putalisadak had vanished beneath concrete constructions. Visible parts of the khola, on the other hand, look like an open sewage. KMC authorities estimate that structures have been built over 500 metres of the khola between Narayanhiti Durbar Museum and locations in Kamaladi, including Kathmandu Plaza. Parts of the rivulet are visible beyond Kathmandu Plaza.
The local government claims that excavation to locate the khola is being done with the support of local people. However, businesses affected by the excavation drive have moved the court asking it to stop the excavation process. The court has summoned both parties for the next hearing scheduled for September 21.
A version of this article appears in the print on September 19, 2022 of The Himalayan Times.
