BIRATNAGAR, AUGUST 13
Although it's been raining cats and dogs in Biratnagar for some days, unlike in the past, there has not been any case of inundation in the locality this monsoon, thanks to timely actions taken by the local government against monsoon-induced disasters.
Biratnagar Metropolitan City in Morang district repaired and maintained the sewerage and canals prior to the arrival of monsoon. As a result, the otherwise submerged places were spared from inundation this rainy season.
The dwellers of BMC are elated with this welcome change. Arjun Subedi, a local resident of Janapath, said that they did not suffer inundation related problems due to the BMC's timely action.
Krishna Prasad Bhandari Marseli, a local resident as well as national president of the Consumer Awareness Campaign Nepal, viewed that the massive clean-up drive of the sewerages and canals by the BMC within its area relieved the locals of inundation related problems this year.
He admitted that Biratnagar looked cleaner and more beautiful compared to the past. He explained, "In the past, the shopkeepers used to encroach upon the pavements with their products on display. It caused inconvenience to pedestrians. Now, we can walk freely."
Marseli assessed that parking in public places has been managed well. The mayor and deputy mayor as well as the newly elected people's representatives are filled with the spirit of delivering services well.
BMC had initiated the clean-up drive since last mid-February. Most of the roads here used to be water-logged in the monsoon since the sewerage and canals used to be blocked by dirt, dust and pollutants, while the local river and rivulets used to be swollen.
Public Forum's President Uttam Dhungel observed that it occurred to them that the BMC was excellently fulfilling its responsibilities. According to him, BMC was delivering well on sanitation, electrification, management of parking, ban on tobacco products, among others, apart from executing early preparedness for disaster risk reduction. The local public are all praise for these undertakings, he added.
He viewed that the BMC should expand its scope of work. "The way the metropolis is delivering and the public are acknowledging it; it's certainly a good start. But BMC should not be limited to these works only."
Civil Society's leader Ram Babu Dahal shared that the capable team led by the able leadership of BMC has been delivering reliable public services and they were feeling the wind of change. "The electrification campaign is another welcome deed. Sanitation has been given due attention. The BMC is delivering diligently. The mayor seems to have the attitude of immediately addressing the public's problems."
Ganesh Prasad Pokharel, a local resident of Ward No 5, said there had been reforms in the services delivered by BMC's subordinate offices since Nagesh Koirala assumed the role of BMC's mayor.
According to Pokharel, prompt service delivery from any subordinate office is one of the reforms witnessed by the locals since the appointment of new leadership last November.
"Nagesh Koirala has kept up with the public's trust and expectations. I am confident he will manage to keep up with the public's confidence in him."
He narrated that the locals used to face lot of trouble while availing service from the Department of House Mapping in the BMC subordinate bodies. It is no longer the case lately, he gushed.
Shankar Shah, a garment trader in Gudri Market of Biratnagar, expressed his happiness over effective execution of ban on tobacco products.
Although he recently left consuming 'gutkha' after consuming it for a long time, his son was addicted to it. With the ban coming into effect strictly within BMC, his son gave up on the consumption which, he divulged, made him the happiest person.
The consumers' behaviour has undergone a positive change lately with the implementation of ban on sale, distribution and consumption of tobacco products and cigarette in public places, said Som Magar, a local tea seller.
A version of this article appears in the print on August 14, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.
