Pokhara Sub-Metropolitan City, Pokhara Valley Development Committee (PVDA) and the district administration office (DAO) have come together and decided to bulldoze all buildings constructed on encroached land on the bank of the river, by next week.[break]
Because of the encroachment, the river is on the verge of disappearance, said the authorities.
A month ago, PVDA had issued a notice urging locals concerned to tear down physical structures that encroach the river bank, by March 28. But after the locals ignored the notice, the authorities decided to demolish the structures themselves, said PVDA.
Chairman of PVDA, Jit Bahadur Gurung, said PVDA has already marked out all the physical structures constructed along the river bank. The authorities will bulldoze the buildings from next Friday.
The authorities will use four dozers and raze physical structures including buildings falling within 12-18 meters on either side along the course of the river, said Gurung.
Many houses, community structures and office buildings have already been erected on public land along the river over the last few years.
“This time we will demolish all physical structures erected on public land at any cost as frequent efforts in the past to stop river-bank encroachment have failed,” he said.
He also warned that police will use force if anyone tries to pose hurdles to the demolition.
Likewise, Jhalak Ram Adhikari, chief executive of Pokhara Sub-metropolitan City, reiterated that the authorities will not be deterred from their decision to demolish the physical structures. “As the task of preserving public lands falls under the purview of the sub-metropolitan office, we have initiated the drive to protect the Phirke river from losing its very existence.” said Adhikari.
According to PVDA, as much as 22 ropani 3 anna of land along the river has already been encroached. Gopi Dayalu, survey engineer at PVDA, said locals and organizations like the lions club and Little Step Higher Secondary School have constructed houses on more than 4 ropani.
Phirke river touches more than seven wards in Pokhara, including wards 2, 4, 5, 7,8 and 18.
However, locals and officials of the lions club have denounced the authorities´ decision to start demolishing buildings along the river bank.
It has also been found that Pokhara Sub-metropolitan City office has provided building completion certificates to the buildings constructed on encroached public land.
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