The government has formed a committee to study the sinkhole that developed on the road between Bhagwati Bahal Temple and Bal Mandir in Naxal, Kathmandu. A section of the road caved in on Sunday morning following extensive digging at the construction site of the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel nearby.

According to the Department of Roads (DoR), one side of the road has collapsed into the sinkhole, leaving a crater 25 metres deep. The road has been sealed off since Sunday, and motorists have been instructed to detour. 

A three-member committee led by the DoR deputy director general will investigate why the road collapsed and make the necessary recommendations based on the final output. “We will receive the report within a couple of days,” said Devendra Karki, director general of the DoR.

Even though the DoR hasn’t completed its assessment, the scale of the damage suggests that it might take at least three weeks to repair the road. “It will depend on how fast the work is done,” Karki said.

DoubleTree by Hilton is being constructed by the Jagadamba Hospitality Group, a subsidiary of the Shanker Group. DoubleTree by Hilton is a chain operated by Hilton Hotels and Resorts, one of the largest hotel chains in the world. 

The builder has received the approval of Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC). The DoR is of the view that KMC should conduct the assessment and play a proactive role in repairing the road. However, the city fathers have said that the role of KMC is just to issue building permits and the DOR should coordinate with the builder to get the road repaired. 

KMC spokesperson Gyanendra Karki said the Shanker Group had been allowed to construct the hotel after they had completed all the paperwork.    

The Shanker Group has pledged to local authorities that it will do the needful to repair the road section. “As the construction of the hotel cannot resume until the road is repaired, we are hopeful that they will work hard,” Karki said.    

The proposed hotel will be spread over 5 ropanis and feature 138 guest rooms and parking space for 120 four-wheelers and 200 two-wheelers. Jagadamba has appointed Miyamoto International, a global structural and earthquake engineering firm, to design the structure of the building. 

According to a report published by Miyamoto on its website, the 14-storey hotel will have three basement levels. The proposed building meets the International Building Code and the building standards of Nepal and India, the report added. 

The Shanker Group is also getting the incident assessed by Indian experts.