Several neighbourhoods in Capital’s Old Baneshwor are bearing the brunt of ongoing sewer repair works, with the streets and alleyways dug up for installation of pipes for weeks now. 

Locals complained the streets in their areas have been replaced with trenches, hindering public mobility. 

“I used to commute to work on my motorcycle. I cannot do that now because of the sewer repair works. There is barely a space outside for a person to walk comfortably,” said Bivuti Kumar Mandal of Gyawali Marga.  

Office workers like Mandal and school children have been greatly inconvenienced. 

Locals say if the project was well thought out, it would not have caused such impact on their daily lives. 

The workers are digging up the streets in an unplanned manner, with no regard for the troubles they are causing for the locals, says Samik Paudel, an Old Baneshwor resident.

“We are not saying that we do not want the sewer system in our neighbourhood fixed; but the way the works are taking place, it is absolutely unprofessional. While digging the trenches the workers could have at least left a decent space where a person can walk,” he said. “The entire area is polluted due to the stink emanating from the open sewer and the dust from the dug-up roads. There are no health and safety standards.” 

Not only that, but the ongoing works have also caused drinking water shortage in some areas.

“While digging up the roads, water pipelines have been damaged in many areas. We cannot get  water tankers, because vehicles cannot enter here,” said Anjila Bhatta of Milan Chowk. 

The Department of Roads (DoR) Division 1 Office began the sewer repair works at the Old Baneshwor and Mid Baneshwor areas some four months ago. 

Mukunda Adhikari, the chief of the office, could not be reached for a comment. Narayan Prasad Bhandari, the ward-31 chairman of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, says it could take at least another month for the project to be completed. 

“People will have to face inconveniences for at least another month. We hope the division office will complete the job at the earliest,” he said. 

Following a barrage of complaints from the locals affected by the project, the ward office has written to the DoR urging the latter to expedite the sewer repair works.