By A Staff Reporter
Kathmandu, Mar. 16: Hari Prabha Khadgi, Deputy Mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC), has expressed her concern at the construction of eight concrete flag bases at the Hanuman Dhoka Durbar Square Protected Monument Zone.

“This is a world heritage site and any work here needs to be coordinated with the locals, Department of Archaeology and perhaps even the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO),” she said.
Then why has the KMC been pushing ahead despite everyone’s objection? To this, she replied, “I honestly do not know.”

“Projects like this need to be approved by the KMC board before they are implemented. However, this project has not been presented to us,” she said, adding, “I am the Deputy Mayor and even I was not made aware of this.”
Khadgi accused Mayor Bidya Sunder Shakya of acting alone in a dictatorial fashion and promised to talk to him as well as the relevant department officials.

Kathmandu Metropolitan City has built concrete bases to erect eight 35-foot poles to display Nepal’s national flag. However, it has not obtained permission from the DoA, as required, while making such changes at the UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Archaeology Department has repeatedly asked the KMC to cease all works but its calls have so far fallen on deaf ears.
Deputy Mayor Khadgi was at Basantapur to inspect the construction site on Tuesday. While talking to the media, she vowed to draw the Mayor’s attention to the matter and do what is necessary to preserve the city’s monuments.

The Hanumandhoka Palace Management and Conservation Office has claimed that it too was not informed that the city would be demolishing the platform (Dabali) at Basantapur to build cemented structures for flags.

Heritage Activist Ganapati Lal Shrestha, as well as the locals of the area, questioned the metro’s intention at coming under the cover of darkness to carry out construction that they deemed “illegitimate.” “Why do they not talk to the people and figure out the best way forward? Why sneak in at night to avoid scrutiny,” he questioned.

The flags, if installed, will obscure the view of the Basantapur monuments and threaten the world heritage status of an area that is already at risk of being placed in UNESCO danger list.