KATHMANDU, Dec 8: Residents and business owners in Hetauda have begun clearing debris left behind after the Road Division Office demolished structures encroaching upon the town’s main thoroughfare as part of an ongoing road expansion project.
From early morning, locals and shopkeepers were seen sweeping away piles of bricks, rods, zinc sheets, furniture and other rubble that had been bulldozed onto the roadside. Many worked to dismantle remaining walls, remove shutters and clear scrap from the front sections of their homes and shops. With the front portions of several buildings demolished, residents have now turned to removing leftover debris and reconstructing structures within the mandated road limits.
On November 21, the Hetauda Road Division Office had issued a public notice ordering all permanent and temporary structures built within 25 yards on either side of the road—stretching from Ratamate to Buddhachowk and Rapti Bridge along the East-West Highway and from Buddhachowk to Samari Bridge along the Tribhuvan Highway—to be removed within 15 days.
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When many homeowners failed to comply within the deadline, the Road Division deployed bulldozers on Saturday, demolishing more than 500 structures in the designated road boundary from Ratamate to Rapti Bridge.
However, the expansion drive has now been halted following a writ order issued by the Supreme Court on December 5. Chief of the Road Division Office, Guru Prasad Adhikari, said the demolition work has been suspended in compliance with the interim order, which was formally received by the office on Sunday afternoon.
The Supreme Court has temporarily barred the enforcement of the expansion notice until further review.
Meanwhile, the Hetauda Sub-Metropolitan City has announced support for families displaced by the demolitions. Municipal spokesperson Sabina Nyaupane said the office will facilitate temporary and long-term housing arrangements for those whose land holdings have been fully affected and who do not own property elsewhere. Ward offices will collect data, which will be verified by the Land Revenue Office before eligible households are assisted with housing through relevant programs.
The municipality has also decided to request Nepal Rastra Bank, through the Ministry of Finance, to provide concessional loans for affected homeowners to rebuild their houses.
