KALIKOT: A landslide triggered during the construction of the administrative building of Khandachakra Municipality in Kalikot has put several nearby houses at risk.
The landslide occurred last August while the foundation of the under-construction building was being excavated at Manma Serapata in Khandachakra Municipality-1.
The landslide buried part of the main road in Manma Bazaar and damaged a house. Seven houses located above the construction site are now at high risk of further landslides. Construction work has also remained affected since the incident in Bhadra.
Khandachakra Municipality Deputy Mayor Ganesh Bahadur Shahi claimed that the landslide risk would be automatically addressed once the building was completed.
“Once the building is constructed, a retaining wall will be built behind it. The landslide risk will be eliminated after that,” he said.
Shahi said that the house that collapsed in Bhadra had been assessed for compensation and that the municipality had forwarded the details to the Ministry of Home Affairs through the District Administration Office. He added that the municipality had requested financial assistance from the federal government, as it lacked the resources to compensate the affected household.
According to Shahi, as many as 12 houses in the vicinity of the construction site could be at risk if a retaining wall is not built.
Meanwhile, the Road Division Office in Jumla had written to the municipality in April, asking it to halt construction because the building violated the standards applicable to structures along national highways.
The Public Roads Act, 2031, prohibits the construction of concrete structures within 31 metres on either side of a highway. However, the building is being constructed just six metres from the road.
The Road Division had warned that the construction could compromise road safety, obstruct future road expansion and result in a waste of public funds if the building had to be demolished later. Despite the warning, the municipality proceeded with the construction.
During his visit to Karnali last July, Infrastructure Development Minister Sunil Lamsal had also instructed the municipality to stop the construction work. He had assured that an alternative building would be arranged following a decision by the Council of Ministers.
However, the municipality remains determined to complete the building at the existing site. Deputy Mayor Shahi said the main contractor had been called and that construction work would resume after Tihar.
The construction contract was awarded to Kathmandu-based RNCS Builders for Rs 196.2 million.
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