Himal Press 
POKHARA: The Pokhara Metropolitan City (PMC) Office has begun demolishing structures built by encroaching on the banks of the Firkekhola stream that flows through the city’s market area.
With the support of ward chairpersons, executive members, municipal assembly members, officials, and security personnel, the metropolis deployed machines from three different locations to remove both temporary and permanent structures erected in violation of its building standards.
Around two dozen such structures were demolished on Sunday, according to the PMC. A total of 12 structures in Ward 18, 10 in Ward 4, two in Ward 5, and two at the border of Wards 7 and 8 were torn down.
Last week, the PMC demolished several permanent and temporary structures in the Amarsingh Chowk area of Pokhara.
A public notice has been issued to clear squatter settlements from the city’s bus park.
Pokhara Mayor Dhanraj Acharya said discussions will be held on structures within the legal boundary and the Firke Corridor Project once the stream corridor is cleared.
The Firkekhola stream, which originates from Andherikuna in Ward 18, flows through Wards 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 17, before merging into Phewa Lake. Local elderly recall that the stream once carried clean, drinkable water, but rapid urbanization has since led to pollution and encroachment.
A technical survey conducted at the beginning of Mayor Acharya’s tenure in 2022 identified 160 structures within the stream boundary. Although the metropolis had initiated efforts to remove them that year, a writ petition registered at the Pokhara High Court delayed action.
After a long legal process, the court allowed PMC to move forward by issuing a new public notice.
Ward 18 Chair Shiva Prasad Timilsina said six permanent and six temporary structures in his ward were dismantled. “Six temporary sheds were fully demolished, while machines also tore down walls and gates of other houses,” he added.
Mayor Acharya said the campaign aims to conserve, develop, and beautify the Firkekhola stream, marking the beginning of a broader initiative to remove encroachments and protect public property for the overall development of greater Pokhara. “The campaign, which started from the Firkekhola, will expand across the city, including the bus park area,” he added.
Some locals had already cleared structures, including the Photographers’ Association building in Firke and the Lions Club building at Zero Kilometre, a few days earlier.
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