KATHMANDU: Authorities have begun removing charred vehicles from the Singha Durbar complex, which were set ablaze during the Gen-Z protests of September 8 and 9.
The cleanup marks the first visible step toward restoring order in Nepal’s central administrative hub.
According to the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport, the destroyed vehicles are being relocated to an open space within the Parliament building compound. The move comes after mounting concerns that the remains of torched vehicles had left the country’s political nerve center in a state of ruin.
“Burnt vehicles are being shifted to the Parliament premises for management, and repainting work has started inside Singh Durbar,” said Bhimarjun Adhikari, spokesperson for the ministry. He added that coordination among the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport, and the Ministry of Urban Development has been mobilized to manage the damage.
Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, and Urban Development, Kulman Ghising, who is also handling the infrastructure portfolio, had earlier directed officials to clear the compound. He argued that the charred vehicles had left Singha Durbar looking disfigured and stressed the need for a cleaner, more functional environment as the government resumes work.
Alongside vehicle clearance, workers have begun repainting walls and repairing damaged buildings inside the compound. Several ministries housed in Singha Durbar were set on fire and vandalized during the protests, which also destroyed hundreds of official vehicles.
The restoration effort comes as part of a broader campaign to rebuild state infrastructure damaged in the unrest, which the government has estimated caused losses exceeding Rs 200 billion nationwide.
Comment