Kathmandu: The two-month-old government campaign to demolish structures built on encroached public land in the Valley has widened 17.83 km of road in core areas of the city, traffic police said today.

As a result of the demolition drive, which has been completed in 15 road sections of the Capital so far, traffic flow has improved even when reclaimed parts of the roads are yet to be metalled, officials said.

“Traffic jam was a daily affair in most of the road sections, particularly during the rush hours,” said Metropolitan Traffic Police chief DIG Ganesh Raj Rai. “We have experienced improvement in traffic flow after the demolition campaign,” he added.

About 400 km out of the total 1,594.67 km stretch of road in the Valley will be widened as a part of the drive led by Kathmandu Valley Town Planning Development Enforcement Committee to make city roads comply with a notice published on the Nepal Gazette on July 4, 1977, said the committee.

Illegal structures built along the roads in Lainchaur, Naagpokhari, Sorhakhutte, Maitighar-Tinkune, Kalimati Chowk-Balkhu-TU Gate, Kamalpokhari-Ratopul, Kamaladi-Kamalpokhari, Dilli Bazaar-Lhotse Chowk-Bhagwati Bahal-Bhatbhateni-Baluwatar, Kupandole-Sanepa Height, Anamnagar-Ghattekulo Chowk-Dilli Bazaar, Kalikasthan-Dilli Bazaar, Lazimpat and Airport Golden Gate-Siphal Chaur have already been demolished.

Traffic personnel have been working with Nepal Electricity Authority, Nepal Telecom and other authorities concerned to relocate electricity and telephone poles/ lines to make way for wider roads. Mismanaged telephone and electricity lines have been blamed for traffic congestions and road accidents in Kathmandu, where more than 500,000 vehicles are believed to be plying the roads ever day.

source: The Himalayan Times, 7 Feb 2012