The Supreme Court has issued a mandamus order to the government to initiate the process within 15 days to decide the method for conserving the historic Sundhara-based Bagh Durbar.

A division bench of Justices Anil Kumar Sinha and Sapana Malla Pradhan on Tuesday directed the government to form a team of experts under the director general of the Department of Archeological and submit the study report to the court within three months.

The court has directed to induct representatives of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, Kathmandu Valley Development Authority, representatives of National Reconstruction Authority or archeologists, historians, structure experts, Vastu consultants and architects, among others, in the team. 

The court issued the order in response to a writ filed by senior advocates Prakashmani Sharma, Ram Panta Kharel, Heritage Conservation Campaign Struggle Committee Coordinator Ganapati Lal Shrestha and law student Sanjay Adhikari on October 2. 

The order has stated that there is no debate regarding the conservation of historic Bagh Durbar which was damaged in the devastating earthquake of April 25, 2015.

“There is no debate about the conservation of Durbar,” the bench observed. “But the questions have been raised as to how the palace can be conserved. There was no uniformity in the recommendations made by various bodies regarding the method for conserving the historic palace—either thorough retrofitting or rebuilding.”

Earlier on November 28, the apex court had issued an order to the Department of Archaeology to conduct a study of historic Bagh Durbar once again and submit the report to the court.

Responding to a writ filed by the Kathmandu Metropolitan City seeking to scrap the earlier directive to not demolish the historic Bagh Durbar that suffered damage in the earthquake of April 25, 2015, a joint bench of Chief Justice Om Prakash Mishra and Justice Anil Kumar Sinha had issued the order to carry out the study by deploying a team of independent experts.

Heritage conservation activists had moved the Supreme Court after the KMC started preparations to demolish Bagh Durbar despite criticism from various quarters.

Earlier on October 3, a single bench of SC Justice Deepak Raj Joshee had issued an order against the demolition of Bagh Durbar that has historical and archeological importance.