KATHMANDU: Urban planners value the city parks as significant for their various roles in the social and mental health of the people.

Whether built in the initiation of the private sector or constructed on government initiations, spacious parks are something every accountable government advocates for.

However, in the context of Nepal, it is very difficult to find such a beautiful park. Some old parks are still in neglected conditions. Lately, realizing the lack of recreational places in Kathmandu, Kathmandu Metropolitan City is helping the neighboring cities to build parks.

As an initiation in this direction, it handed over a check of Rs. 10 million each to all the 10 municipalities on February 10, 2019 to build such recreational parks.

Accordingly, the metropolis had given money for the construction of Yuddha Smarak Park in Kirtipur, Gorakhnath Park in Dakshinkali, Madan Bhandari Memorial Park in Chandragiri, Ganeshman Singh Park in Nargjun, Tarakeshwar Dham in Tarakeshwar, Tokha Park in Tokha, Bajrayogini Park in Gokarneshwar, Budhanikantha Park in Budhanilkantha and Kageshwori Park.

Nearly two years after receiving the money, seven municipalities are constructing the park while the remaining three have not started the construction work yet.

When asked for expenditure details from all the municipalities, only seven have given details. The metropolis sources say that it will wait for two weeks for the expenditure details of the remaining municipalities.

Ram Thapa, the head of the Department of Urban Infrastructure at the Metropolis, informed Khabarhub that the parks constructed by the cities that have received expenditure details are being monitored from time to time.

Municipalities constructing the Parks

After receiving Rs 10 million from the metropolis, Tarakeshwar Municipality has been constructing Taraskeshwar Dham.

In 10 ropanis of public land in the middle of the forested area in Ward No. 3, the municipality is carrying out the construction of staircase to reach the idol of Mahadev, a cottage for sages, a pond, a shrine and an entrance to it. So far, 40 percent of the work has been completed.

Similarly, Kirtipur Municipality is constructing a park in an area of 54 ropanis. The site of three wars between the Gorkhali and Kirtipure armies from 1814 to 1822 has been chosen for the Yuddha Smarak Park literally meaning ‘War Memorial Park’.

According to Mayor Ramesh Maharjan, a big wall and a fort are being constructed in the park.
He added that the park will consist of war-related statues as well as materials reflecting social, cultural and religious significance. It will also have a museum as well.

Tokha Municipality is constructing a children’s park with a waterfall. Similarly, Chandragiri Municipality is constructing Madan Bhandari Park. Although the city has started work, the financial and material details have not been made public yet.

The Municipalities which did not initiate construction

According to Ram Thapa, the head of the Department of Urban Infrastructure at the Metropolis, Dakshinkali, Gokarneshwar and Shankharapur municipalities have not started the construction of the park so far.

Citing that three cities have not made substantive progress so far, Thapa shared the department’s plan to make those municipals refund the amount as per the agreement.

Though still in the list of the Municipality which did not initiate construction, Dakshinkali municipality has come out with a reason. It confessed that it could not overcome the delay caused by the formalities it had to go through.

Deputy Mayor Basanti Lama said that the DPR of Gorakhnath Park is recently completed.
“We have completed the DPR and now the construction of the park will move forward,” she told Khabarhub.

The municipalities which didn’t construct the park to refund metropolis

“We had written before Dashain to all ten municipalities and aksed them to send the expenditure details,” Thapa told Khabarhub, “but three municipalities have not sent the expenditure details so far. We will wait for two more weeks.”

As a partnership between the cities, the metropolis has allocated Rs. 10 million each for all 10 cities this year as well.

In the meantime, he said that he would soon provide additional Rs. 10 million to the city which feel they need some more amount to complete the project.

“We have allocated Rs 10 million each for the municipalities which are carrying out the park construction works,” he added, “ those who have worked as per the agreement and need more money will be provided.”

Stating that he had reached Kirtipur for monitoring some time ago, Thapa said that he found the work going on satisfactorily. He promised to provide some more money to address the remaining expenses.