His team of 15 army personnel has been providing security to the earthquake affected people taking refuge on the pitch of the country's only international stadium. The pitch of the stadium resembles a refugee camp: there are 20 blue tents provided by People Republic of China, nine grey tents of Nepal Army and 23 multi-colored tarpaulins; children play football or chase street dogs, youths indulge in gossips in groups; women carry about their daily chores while old people rest inside their tent.
According to Khadka, there are currently around 400 people taking shelter at the Dasharath Stadium, mostly from the nearby areas.
"The number of people taking shelter here has almost decreased to half. People are trying to get back to their normal life. Family's bread earners go to work and return in the evening," he said, adding, "The number of people rises after a major aftershock."
Since the aftershocks have not stopped, it is uncertain when the authorities would ask the people to vacate the stadium, says Khadka.
"We do not have any immediate plans to remove people from here. The government cannot force the affected people from here before it comes up with a better option," he says.
Dasharath Stadium was not spared by the devastating earthquake. It has borne deep cracks in both the open and closed parapets and its surrounding wall have fallen at different sections.
Owing to the damages, All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) is facing major challenge in resuming the National League-introduced in the ongoing season in the home-and-away format.
Due to the precarious state of the stadium, which is the home ground of five Kathmandu-based clubs, security of the audience is the major challenge faced by ANFA, which has not indicated so far when it plans to resume the league.
National League, which was on its seventh round, now hangs in uncertainty.
"We will have to wait and see as aftershocks haven't ended completely. We do not have any plans regarding the National League so far," says ANFA's acting President Lalit Krishna Shrestha.
Nevertheless, unless ANFA decides to resume the league outside Kathmandu, its completion hangs in uncertainty.
Manager of Nepal Police Club Hari Khadka believes that League will not be held in the valley, but says it will be decided once ANFA will call a meeting regarding it.
"Our players were deployed in assisting the relief task after the quake. Despite that, we had continued our training in the morning. It's been few days that players restrained from relief tasks. We will be playing in the Tilottama Gold Cup in few days. Regarding National League, nothing can be said unless ANFA calls a meeting and
takes a decision on it," he says.
With monsoon approaching, Khadka believes that the league will take at least three months to resume if a decision is taken to organize it outside Kathmandu.
Related story
National League resumption uncertain amid adverse conditions
_20230802105002.jpg)
