(Sharmila Pathak) 15, Ashoj, Kathmandu: The Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) would continue removing the illegally constructed structures during the ongoing Dashain festival. According to Police Inspector Dharmaraj Bhandari, they would continue dismantling the illegal structures built within the KMC. KMC launched the drive to remove illegal infrastructures built in public places since August 22. While some structures were found to be built without passing the map (design) while some had encroached the public land. Inspector Bhandari shared that among the illegal infrastructures found in public spaces, those built encroaching on the public land were found in the highest number. He further explained that use of footpath, construction of wall and temporary hut in the public land were the highest incidents found among the encroachment on public land. The KMC had issued a 35-day notice on July 17, asking them to remove illegally constructed structures. After the concerned parties turned deaf ear to the notice, the KMC ran dozer on those illegal infrastructures. So far, 135 such infrastructures in 56 places were dismantled, most of them were in Baneshwor area. The KMC cleared illegally occupied basements in 19 places as well as the ground floor to build parking facility. Illegally built infrastructures were removed in 20 places. The removal of illegal structures and converting them into parking facilities would help resolve the parking issue in the Kathmandu Valley by 25 per cent, the KMC said. There are currently 35 buildings that are enjoying tax exemption for allowing basement area for underground parking facility. Meanwhile, the other local levels were also following the suit. Kirtipur municipality has started dismantling illegal structures since August 25. “Although public notice was published to notify the locals. They did not obey the notice to remove such infrastructures themselves within seven days. As a result, we took the matter in our hands and started dismantling them ourselves”, shared Subha Laxmi Shakya, Deputy Mayor of Kirtipur municipality. Similarly, Madhyapur Thimi municipality in Bhaktapur has also started removing the illegally built infrastructures.
