KATHMANDU, DECEMBER 12
Kathmandu Metropolitan City has halted the ongoing construction work at the historic stone spout of Sundhara following obstruction from conservationists and heritage activists.
The KMC is currently constructing some sites, including an artificial water tank for operation of the famous Sundhara (the golden spout) among the larger Dharahara reconstruction project. The project envisions including the heritage site of Sundhara in its plan to allow commercial complexes, underground parking spanning around 22 ropani land. Activists and locals had become furious after construction workers used excavators to dig behind Sundhara to construct an artificial water reservoir with a capacity to hold 100,000 litres of water. Activists who opposed the use of large machinery at the historic site vented ire after KMC turned a blind eye to an ancient artifact in the form of a wooden pipeline that was found behind the spout.
Following protest, the activists soon halted the reconstruction work. KMC Mayor Balendra Shah himself came to the site to understand the gravity of the problem. After activists and locals along with the local ward chair decided not to allow any construction there, Mayor Shah agreed to halt it and asked the contractor to stop work.
A version of this article appears in the print on December 13, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.
