Department of Archeology (DoA), District Forest Office (DFO) of Kathmandu and Federation of Swayambhunath Management and Conservation (FSMC) had expressed objections over the mane construction in the Swayambhunath area. Sangedag Service Society (SSS), which had started building the mane, has halted all construction works following the objections.[break]
The SSS was permitted by the DoA to construct a 110 feet-long mane-wall, replacing the ruins of an old wall. After the SSS started to build the mane, instead of just a mane-wall, the DoA, the DFO and the FSMC had expressed their concerns.
Initially, the SSS had written a letter to the FSMC seeking permission for the construction of a mane. The request was turned down by the FSMC. “We told them that the new structure of any kind inside the wall of Swaymbhunath is not allowed," said Sarbagya Ratna Tuladhar, President of the FSMC.
Tuladhar added, “We later wrote a letter to the DoA to allow SSS to construct the mane-wall, for the old wall had already collapsed." He made it clear that their recommendation was not for the mane construction.
As per the document available, the DoA and the FSMC had given permission only for the 110 feet mane-wall bordering the road in the south-western part of the Swayambhu Monument Zone. Moreover, the last letters from DoA and DFO have ordered the SSS to stop the work and remove all construction materials from the site.
In a letter to the FSMC, dated May 19, 2013, the SSS has admitted the mistake, and sought permission to continue with the construction of the mane-wall as permitted earlier. The letter has been signed by Prem Bahadur Shrestha, the founder of the SSS.
Asked whether the society went on with the construction of the mane against the order of DoA and FSMC, Hari Sharan Lamichhane, the media advisor to the society, said, “The work of retaining the wall has stopped due to the obstruction created by FSM.”
According to Lamichhane, the society had started the work in full awareness of the environmental impact the new structure might cause. Therefore, they had planned it in a way that would not cause any harm to the heritage and the natural environment of Swayambhu Monument Zone. "We have not felled any trees as reported by some media," he said. "The local community and Swayambhu Youth Club had advised the society to build a mane where the foundation has been laid."
"We and the locals here did not like the idea of big mane-walls built in the ground where local youths practice sports in the morning," said Shyam Lama, president of the club. According to Lama, instead of renting out the place for circus and entertainment group, as FSMC usually do, they thought the construction of mane would serve the conservation of monument zone better.
But Sarbagya Ratna Tuladhar said, "Instead of making a retaining wall to prevent the impending soil erosion caused by the diggings, the society violated the order by laying the cemented base for the mane."
According to Tuladhar, the FSMC is not against the good purpose of constructing the mane-walls. The members of the federation were shocked when SSS went ahead with the construction overstepping the permission, which will ultimately occupy some 1.5 ropanis of land that will in turn affect the trees and the monument zone.
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