KATHMANDU, March 1: Bibek Shrestha loves to visit Kamalpokhari pond as often as possible. He goes there during his lunch break and at times after the grueling hours he puts in at his office. The pond, which had been in a sorry state for a long-time, has been restored, and Bibek finds the fresh air in the park built around the pond quite refreshing.
Shrestha, 31, who works at an office in the Kamalpokhari area, said that the restoration of the pond has changed his routine."I go there every day and sometimes even twice a day to enjoy the fresh air," said he.
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But Shrestha is not alone to be lured by the pond and the park that has been revamped. While the people in the neighborhood have found a cleaner and wider place for their morning exercises, young boys and girls gather at the place just to hang out or enjoy dishes served by the food stalls at the park. At least 50 to 60 students visit the pond every day, according to a pani puri seller.
Govinda Kumar Jha goes to the Kamalpokhari pond for an entirely different reason. He is preparing for his upcoming School Leaving Certificate (SLC) exam and prefers to study in the park. “This place is really peaceful and I come here every day to prepare for my SLC exam,” said Jha.
The reconstruction of the Kamalpokhari was initiated a year ago with a budget of Rs 14 million. The Kathmandu Valley Development Authority (KVDA) informed that 65 percent of the task for the pond's reconstruction has already been completed.
“All the remaining construction work will be finished by the end of this fiscal year and later the maintenance of the pond will be handed over to some other organization,” informed Bhai Kaji Tiwari, deputy development commissioner of the KVDA.
The public park is being constructed on 23 ropanis of land, out of which 5 ropanis is occupied by the offices of metropolitan police and traffic police. According to Ram Prasad Shrestha, an engineer at the KVDA, they are planning to install fountain, establish garden around the pond area and blacktop the road north of the pond.
