Kathmandu, September 9:

Some 500 metres of inner roads that connect New Road, Dharmapath with Basantapur are in dilapidated conditions.

The uneven roads not only make the ride bumpy but also are inconvenient for the passersby.

The roads, which are considered shortcuts and alternate to busy main road, have not been maintained for the last five years, locals said. However, this is not due to negligence of the local authorities.

When Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) started stone-paving the roads in 200 4, locals opposed and stopped the work, saying that stone pavement would make the roads slippery and would not last long.

Recently, the KMC Ward No 23 office allocated Rs 7 lakh to fill the potholes. A Users’ Committee was formed and it collected Rs 84,000 from the users for the work.

The work started, but again some locals disrupted the work, saying that they wanted the roads blacktopped. The concrete brought to fill the potholes is still lying near Sukrapath.

To address this new demand, locals and the KMC ward officials held a meeting and re-estimated the cost of construction at Rs 11 lakh. Locals are still waiting for their new proposal to be passed by the KMC.

Who’s responsible

Om Krishna Manandhar, member of the road User’s Committee, says this time they are determined to get the road black-topped before the Dashain festival. “We want a concrete road that would last for years,” Manandhar said.