By Nayak Poudel
Kathmandu, Apr. 28: As the government decided to impose a restriction order in the Valley from Thursday, thousands of individuals have started leaving for their hometown.
On Tuesday, Koteshwor, Gausala, New Buspark, Old Buspark and Kalanki areas were crowded with people wanting to leave the Valley.
With the Council of Ministers deciding on restrictions on Monday, people have opted to leave the Valley in two days.
According to the individuals working in the ticket counters, the number of people leaving the Valley had risen on Tuesday.
“After the government decided to impose restriction order in the Valley from Thursday, the number of individuals leaving increased. There were few people leaving until Monday but the scenario was different on Tuesday,” said Sunil Khadka, a ticket counter operator at Koteshwor.
Following the situation, the Metropolitan Traffic Police Division (MTPD) had also increased its surveillance throughout the Valley to ensure safe journey of the public.
“Restriction order will be implemented from Thursday and with only two days remaining, people started leaving the Valley in large numbers. Traffic officers have been deployed to mitigate chances of charging exorbitant bus fares and ensuring everybody abided by health safety measures,” said Superintendent of Police (SP) Shyam Krishna Adhikari, MTPD spokesperson.
When The Rising Nepal spoke to the individuals who were leaving the Valley, most informed that they were leaving following the widespread transmission of COVID-19 here and in view of the restriction order to be imposed from Thursday.
Similarly, among thousands of individuals returning from the Valley, most were students as the education sector has been closed and exams have been postponed. “Our exam has been postponed and a restriction order is being imposed. Similarly, the government only gave two days to leave the Valley due to which there was a huge crowd in the ticket counters and bus stations,” said Avishekh Subba, a civil engineering student who was leaving for Morang from
Koteshwor on Tuesday morning.
According to Subba, he had arrived at Koteshwor on Monday evening to buy a ticket as soon as he found out about the restriction order in the Valley. “Many people were at the counters on Monday and many were searching for tickets on Tuesday morning as well.”
Similarly, hostel owners also informed that many hostellers have been leaving the Valley in the past few days after educational institutions started being closed down fearing widespread COVID-19 contagion.
“Students live without their parents in the Valley and they are called back home in situations such as the recent one.
However, it doesn’t seem all the students, like in previous lockdown, are leaving the Valley,” said Hem Karki, owner of Hamro Boys Hostel in Baneshwor,
As per the MTPD, 27,780 people left the valley by 5 pm on Tuesday alone while on Monday, 50,456 people had left the valley.