The United Nations Economic and Social commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) has decided to provide a grant assistance of $7million (Rs7.45billion) to the Kathmandu Valley Development Authority (KVDA) for a project that aims to make Valley’s opens green, according to KVDA officials. 

ESCAP is a regional development division established in 1947 in Bangkok, which has been working for environment and development including other various sectors. 

Bhai Kaji Tiwari, development commissioner at the Kathmandu Valley Development Authority, said the KVDA is second to receive such grant assistance from the UN agency after Kenya this year. 

“ESCAP has provided this grant to us after our previous efforts to make the Valley green,” said Tiwari.  

“The fund will be used to maintain greenery and create parks in open spaces of the Valley. We will also find out encroached upon public land where we can establish parks,” he added. 

Six months ago, the KMC had allocated Rs 50 million to construct six new parks in  ward numbers 10, 14, 15 , 18, 19, 20 and 35 of the metropolis. 

Rabin Man Shrestha, chief at the Environment Division at the metropolis, said, “We will be working in collaboration with the KVDA to make the Valley clean and green.”