A standoff between Road Division, Kathmandu, and Kathmandu Metropolitan City at New Road ended without any untoward incident on Monday after the federal government deployed a massive police force.

The city police, deployed in huge numbers to stop the division’s workers from repairing the road section between New Road gate and Juddha Salik destroyed by the metropolis, were backed off after federal police intervened.

“We are committed to executing an order of the metropolis to expand pedestrian lanes in the New Road area,” said Raju Nath Pandey, chief of City Police. “We backed off, as we cannot scuffle with the federal police force. Everybody knows who deployed the federal police and what their intention is. There are hundreds of places in Kathmandu where road conditions are not good, but the Road Division has hurried to fix the parts we cut for expansion of the sidewalks.”

The dispute between the two agencies—Road Division and Kathmandu metropolis—over expanding pedestrian lanes and not letting cutting road sections spiraled into Monday’s standoff.

Some ten days ago, the metropolis cut 1.5 metres on both sides of roads in New Road to expand footpaths.

The division intervened and stopped the metropolis workers from cutting the roads, saying that the road section comes under its jurisdiction and that the city office has not taken approval for the footpath expansion.

Mayor Balendra Shah then directed officials to dump truckloads of dirt and trash in front of the main entrance of the Road Division office, blaming the agencies for delayed road expansion work from Kalanki to Maharajgunj which had caused problems for the public.

Taking to social media, Kathmandu Mayor Shah blamed Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Raghubir Mahaseth for not expediting the road expansion.

“If your direct order can stop an ongoing project, it can also complete the work,” Shah said.

“For the past 15 years, the citizens of Kathmandu have had to breathe in dusty air and face hardships in the name of Ring Road expansion,” reads Shah’s status posted on social media.

Mayor Shah also sarcastically warned that the KMC would send a truckload of dust as a gift to Minister Mahaseth every day until the work along the Ring Road section is expedited.

“It does not look good for only the public to suffer. I will continue to send a truckload of dust to you as a ‘gift’ every day until the work is resumed. Please accept it as love,” Shah wrote.

The 8.2km Kalanki-Maharajgunj section was to be widened by the Chinese government, and the work was initially planned to start in early 2020, but the project has not progressed even after years.

The Road Division, which picked up the dust and garbage dumped by the metropolis on its own, criticised the metropolis for its act.

“The behaviour of the largest and responsible local government of the country mocks the rule of law, and this kind of behaviour in a violent and chaotic manner will never enhance the dignity of the metropolis,” reads the statement issued by the division.

The division later issued an ultimatum to the KMC, asking it to fix the damaged parts of the roads within two days.

When the metropolis ignored the ultimatum, the division itself repaired the damaged parts taking the help of federal police forces.

“The metropolis dug up the roads without taking approval from our office. Instead of seeking approval, it gave us notice about its decision,” said Pramod Khatiwada, information officer at the division. “As the monsoon is about to start and the New Road area is one of the busiest road sections, it was our responsibility to repair it.”

When asked if metropolis officials are committed to expanding the pavements, Khatiwada said that he hoped concerned officials would “come to their senses” and sort out the disputes, obtaining approval from concerned agencies.

“They should first hold discussions with officials and higher agencies and convince them why they need to expand the footpath and take over the road section from us,” said Khatiwada. “We hope that the city office will not repeat the same mistake again and again.”

Metropolis officials said that footpaths in new road areas, which always remain busy and packed, should be widened enough so that pedestrians can move freely. Officials claimed that locals from the New Road area have also requested the city office for the expansion.

“Locals have also complained about insecurity and sexual harassment in walking on the footpath,” said Sunita Maharjan, elected ward member of Ward 24 of the metropolis. “Locals from our ward have no objection to the expansion of the footpath. The metropolis has started expansion works in demand of the public.”

Sobha Malakar, a local from the Indrachowk area, said that it is very difficult to walk on the narrow pavement in the New Road area. Most of the locals of Ward 24 demanded the expansion of the footpaths with the city office.

“It is very difficult to walk freely on the footpath in the New Road area,” said Malakar. “Walking on the footpath is very suffocating in the area. Women and girls walk on the road risking collision with vehicles.”

Some people supported the Road Division's moves to prevent the city office from expanding the footpath on Monday. Locals of Ward 24 said that those not seeking pavement expansion are from other wards who fear that the already narrowed roads in their area would be further narrowed.

“Those who had protested for parking in New Road have been protesting against the expansion of the footpath,” reads Mayor Shah’s status posted on social media.

He asked the public to consider how the road will be narrowed for driving when a sidewalk is made only of parts that were used for parking in the past.