KATHMANDU, Sept 9: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has stated that the Supreme Court (SC)'s decision to leave an additional 20 meters along the riverbanks in the Kathmandu Valley cannot be implemented.

Constructing the walls and damp along the riverbanks in the urban areas are supposed to control potential flood, prevention of soil erosion and protecting human settlements and so on. However, implementing such structures must adhere to the international protocols, practices and ecological considerations to ensure they benefit people, animals and the environment.

BUTWAL, Oct 29: The banks of the Tinau River are fast being covered by newly-made concrete houses. Due to the lack of monitoring and regulations, the riverbank has been widely encroached upon by ‘squatters’. Locals say the river is actually narrowing due to the encroachment, adding to the risks of floods in the monsoon.