HETAUDA: Homeowners and business operators in Hetauda have begun clearing debris from structures demolished during the main road expansion drive.
The Road Division Office had bulldozed structures built within the designated road boundary and piled up bricks, iron rods, zinc sheets, furniture, and other remnants along the roadside. Since early morning, locals and business owners have been removing scrap, dismantling remaining wall sections, and taking out shutters from damaged buildings.
The expansion drive covers the Ratamate–Buddhachowk–Rapti Bridge section along the East-West Highway, and the Buddachowk–Samari Bridge stretch along the Tribhuvan Highway. On Mangsir 5, the Road Division Office had issued a public notice requiring all permanent and temporary structures built within 25–25 yards of the road centerline to be removed within 15 days.
After homeowners failed to clear the structures within the deadline, the office deployed dozers on Saturday, demolishing more than 500 buildings and structures from Ratamate to Buddachowk and up to the Rapti Bridge.
However, the expansion has been temporarily halted following a short-term interim order issued by the Supreme Court on December 5. Road Division Office Chief Guru Prasad Adhikari said that the office received the written order only on Sunday afternoon and has stopped all demolition work in compliance.
Meanwhile, Hetauda Sub-Metropolitan City has decided to facilitate housing arrangements for families displaced by the demolitions. Municipal spokesperson Sabina Neupane said the city will coordinate through ward offices to identify households without remaining land or property and verify details through the Land Revenue Office. The sub-metropolis will then help arrange housing through the project.
The municipality has also decided to request the Ministry of Finance to instruct Nepal Rastra Bank to provide soft loans for affected families to rebuild their homes.
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