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Kathmandu gets facelift overnight ahead of Xi's visit (with video)

KATHMANDU, Oct 11: Major streets in Kathmandu have been repaved overnight. Dusty and dirty roads now are now clean a...

By Dipendra Rokka

KATHMANDU, Oct 11: Major streets in Kathmandu have been repaved overnight. Dusty and dirty roads now are now clean and shining. Road sidewalks are painted and well-decorated. 


Flex banners representing heritages have been set up along the road-side. Yes, Kathmandu looks different. It may also be due to less traffic during the festive season and pleasant weather. 


However, recent development observed in Kathmandu is not a regular and usual one. It has been executed overnight to welcome the President of China Xi Jinping who is arriving in Kathmandu on Saturday for a two-day state visit at the invitation of his Nepali counterpart President Bidya Devi Bhandari. 


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The most surprising is that all the improvement on the roadside is seen only along the route through which Xi will travel during his 20-hour stopover in Kathmandu on his way back to home from India after holding an informal meeting with Indian PM Narendra Modi.


Kathmandu had got a facelift in the same way when Indian Prime Minister Modi paid an official visit last year. 


People now question on the momentary development done only during high-profile-visits. They now wonder whether the blacktopped roads would remain long last. 


Will the parks grow green for longer? Will potholes not be seen after one or two months from now?- every commoner in the capital have the same question in mind at present.


Let’s forget about quality. It, however, justifies that political willpower is a must to carry out any development work. If desired, it is proved; huge works can be executed in a short period. 


Years-long contracts are still undone. Potholes are widening in the capital. Streets are covered with a cloud of dust. The heap of garbage is mounting. 


Isn’t it a cruel joke to have seen Xi route decorated and maintained overnight while having miserable road conditions not only in the rural areas but also in the cities including Kathmandu? 

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