ELISHA SHRESTHA
KATHMANDU, July 27: Rain can be fun but not in the streets of Kathmandu dotted with unsuspecting potholes everywhere.
“Walking in the streets of Kathmandu during the rainy season can rather be an ordeal,” said Ashmita Rijal, a student of Kathmandu University. The demolition drive launched by the government has made things worse.
“Every morning I walk to office I dread vehicles getting me splashed with dirty water collected in the potholes,” said Rijal. She says she despises walking the treacherous pavements.
However, driving in Kathmandu is not pleasant, either. “Last Friday, I nearly had a fatal accident at Babarmahal because of the potholes,” shares Ram Hari Sharma, a local.
Chief of Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) Kedar Bahadur Adhikari passes the buck on the Department of Roads. “Maintenance of roads does not fall in our jurisdiction. It is the DoR that is responsible for the maintenance of roads,” says Adhikari.
But Senior Divisional Engineer at DOR Gopal Bahadur Khadka argues KMC has to look after the maintenance of inner city roads.
“The Department of Roads is responsible for maintaining major roads like Ring road, Durbar Marga, Lazimpat-Maharajgunj stretch and Ram Shah Path,” Khadka said. He says there is no permanent solution to potholes in the capital. “We don´t have any option other than filling the potholes,” says Khadka.
The major roads of Kathmandu city were last repaired in 2007, according to DoR. Apart from carrying out minor repairs, the roads have not undergone significant maintenance for the last five year.
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