KATHMANDU, DECEMBER 21
Kathmandu Metropolitan City's mission to clear the city of illegal houses and structures got into motion yet again today with houses and structures around Dhobi Khola river corridor being bulldozed.
Scores of municipal police with bulldozers and excavators demolished the physical structures at Devinagar, Anamnagar of KMC-10.
Recently, the KMC is in a drive to clear houses and structures encroaching public places like riverbanks, footpaths and public spaces inside the metropolis.
Today, the KMC team reached a small settlement area at around 11:00am and immediately started using excavators to knock down houses, some of which were solid structures made of concrete pillars and ceilings. A total of 12 houses and temporary structures were brought down today, which included five solid buildings up to three-storey tall.
Raju Pandey, Superintendent of Police of the KMC Police Force said dozers were used on the structures built on public land as authorised by the local government and as per their duty. He said, "We have acted on the duty to clear the city of encroachment and we will continue to do so until we accomplishour mission."
Pandey further said they would continue to bring down the buildings and structures in the same corridor in the coming days as well until they completely removed all the illegal structures.
The KMC had time and again issued a notice to vacate public land in the area.
However, people had turning a deaf ear to the KMC's request.
Lately, it issued a 35- day notice to vacate the areas in line with the notice issued by the KMC. Eventually, it mobilised the force here today.
The KMC has also been aggressively removing hoarding boards, larger display boards installed in violation of the standards and clearing the encroachment on footpath by shops and business owners.
The initiative led by KMC Mayor Balendra Shah has garnered both praise and criticism from the public lately.
A version of this article appears in the print on December 22, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.
