KATHMANDU: The Maoist Centre has urged the government to initiate the legal process to overturn the Supreme Court (SC) verdict concerning river bank criteria in the Kathmandu Valley.
The main opposition party in the Federal Parliament has called on the government to address the Supreme Court’s decision, which it argues undermines the constitutionally guaranteed rights of citizens and has retroactive consequences.
On December 19, 2023, the Supreme Court ruled that authorities must halt encroachments into rivers in the Kathmandu Valley. The verdict mandated an additional 20-meter buffer zone on both sides of rivers and their tributaries, extending the previously fixed 20-meter standard.
In response to the ruling, the Kathmandu Metropolitan City issued a notice on August 14, prohibiting construction within the newly established 20-meter buffer zones.
Maoist Centre Vice-Chair and spokesperson Agni Prasad Sapkota has warned that implementing this verdict will displace hundreds of thousands of families in the Valley, causing significant property loss and resulting in homelessness.
The Maoist Centre has appealed to all local governments within the Kathmandu Valley, including the Kathmandu Metropolitan City, to delay the implementation of the Supreme Court’s verdict to avoid infringing on the constitutional rights of many residents.
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