Coronavirus pandemic limits KMC performance on infrastructure projects to 50 percent

KATHMANDU, May 24: Only 50 percent of the development works in Kathmandu metropolitan city (KMC) got continuity due to COVID-19. KMC has initiated 105 big and small development construction projects in the current fiscal year. 

Among them only 50 projects are being continuously constructed now. “Currently the country is on lockdown to stem the raging coronavirus. Other works except the most essential are not taking place. There is a lack of necessary human resources and construction materials as well as trouble in transporting the supplies. These factors have hampered the construction works”, said KMC department of physical infrastructure development chief Ram Thapa. 

The works related to blacktopping, drainage management, street lamp and park construction works have come to halt in wards 2, 3, 6, 22 and 23, according to Thapa. 

Likewise, re-construction of Kamalpokhari which was almost in the final phase has also been put on hold for now. However, some development and construction works operational in other wards have continued despite coronavirus pandemic. 

In the current fiscal year KMC had allocated a staggering budget of Rs 3.95 billion for physical infrastructure development projects. As of now, only 22 percent of the allocated budget has been spent. 

“Coronavirus has limited our strength to make budgetary expenses so the capital spending has shrunk”, Thapa noted.