Bagmati corridor re-encroached, authorities onlookers

Bishnu Prasad Aryal
Kathmandu, November 27

Once cleared out Bagmati corridor tracks from Tilganga to Dhobighat at Shankhamul have been again encroached. However, the concerned authorities are not more than the onlookers to this situation.

According to the Kathmandu Metropolitan City, the houses and huts were removed from within the 20 metre area along the each side of the Bigmati river for developing the corridor roads about six years ago. "People started encroaching again but the concerned authorities are only the mute spectators," said the KMC officials.

The Department of Road under the Ministry of Physical Planning and Works, and the KMC under the Ministry of Local Development are responsible bodies that have planed to construct corridor roads along both sides of the Bagmati river. Its length measures 6Km from Tilganga to Dhobighat.

DSP Dhana Pati Sapkota, chief of the Enforcement Department in the KMC and City Police, said that the DoR was solely responsible for this negligence. "Only 2Km out of 6Km corridor from Koteshwor to Balkumari remains not encroached," said Sapkota. "I am supervising in this section where my living belongs to," he added.

A KMC official informed that ED was also responsible to monitor the area. "The DoR has not asked us for inspecting and removing the ineligible settlements along the road," said Sapkota. "However, it will not be easy to remove them again as it was cleared earlier," he added. "It would be better to demarcate the road area well after the clearance."

Tulasi Prasad Sitaula, Director General at the DoR, said that the Empowered High Level Bagmati Civilisation Integrated Development Committee was solely responsible to this concern. "The committee has been given legal authority to execute every activity," he said.

The committee was formed only about a year ago. Earlier, the DOR and KMC were operating the corridor project. The committee has come up with visionary plans to work on the project, according to the EHLBCIDC.

Mahesh Bahadur Basnet, chairman of the EHLBCIDC, said that the KMC and City Planning Committee were the genuine responsible bodies to check the encroachment of the land. "The KMC made mistake while demarcating the space of theriver," he said. "We have written letters to both of the bodies in relation to this issue," he added.

Basnet said that the committee has been working seriously to sort out the problem. "A committee coordinated by the Prime Minister has been formed to execute the works and tabled in the cabinet. The committee will begin its activities once after the cabinet approves it," he said. "We need help from locals and political parties to make the plans successful," he said.