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| Kathmandu Sunday March 24, 2002 Chaitra 11, 2058. |
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Cleaning around Dharahara begins
Post Report
KATHMANDU, March 23:After three-year-long battle
in the court, the Kathmandu Metropolitan City is trying to clean up the one and only
historic tower of Dharahara and the surrounding area, including stone water spouts of
Sundhara.
KMC’s plan to convert the brick-paved area
into a green garden with the statue of Bhimsen Thapa hangs in limbo as the locals
protested against it and the court prevented KMC from making any construction here, some
three years ago.
Ward No. 22 chairman Hari Krishna Dangol said
that the ward office decided to clean the debris from the Dharahara that drew series of
controversies for over three years.
"Now the court has issued its verdict. We
have taken it as our responsibility to clean the area filled with piles of garbage and
make it green," he said.
The ward office has employed a guard for
Dharahara and has also started regular cleaning in the area these days.
"Those who filed a case against making a
garden here never showed up to do any constructive work here any way." he said.
Chief of Solid Waste Section at KMC Rajesh
Manandhar said that the KMC is sending its existing manpower to clean the debris at
Sundhara and trying to maintain the natural beauty of the surrounding area.
"We are not providing any new manpower for
Sundhara Garden. However,we think, it is the duty of the KMC to keep it neat and clean
after the area has become free from legal controversies," he said.
KMC had leased the area to a private party so
that a garden would be constructed in the area and a cafe would be run to generate income.
The local people,however, protested against the plan saying it would encroach the public
land and destroy its historic image. Furthermore, the Supreme Court gave a verdict not to
start any construction work in the area until the case finalises. Consequently, the plan
could not materialise and heaps of garbage started to pile up from the locals and street
vendors.
Prime Minister Juddha Shamsher Rana renovated
the tower in 1936 after the old one, constructed by Bhimsen Thapa a century ago, fell to
its second floor.
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