Building Permits Near Riverbanks in Kathmandu No Longer Halted

Kathmandu: The Kathmandu Metropolitan City has clarified that the suspension of building construction permits in the areas adjacent to rivers within the metropolitan region has been lifted. Based on the latest order from the Supreme Court, the metropolis issued a public notice stating that building permits on private land and ongoing construction projects will no longer be obstructed.

According to the metropolitan office, a mayoral-level decision was made on 2081/04/24, based on a Supreme Court verdict dated 2080/08/01. That decision had mandated an additional 20-meter "no-construction" zone beyond the standards set by the Council of Ministers on 2065/08/01, effectively halting construction permits within that expanded area from the riverbanks.

However, on 2082/10/04, a joint bench of the Supreme Court overturned parts of that decision, ordering that operations must only adhere to the original standards set by the Council of Ministers in 2065/08/01. The court ruled that automatically declaring an additional 20-meter area as a prohibited construction zone and halting map approvals within it was not consistent with the principles of law and justice.

In accordance with the Supreme Court's order, the metropolis has clarified that building permits on private land near rivers and tributaries will no longer be restricted based on any distance beyond the criteria established by the Council of Ministers. Furthermore, the metropolis stated that no restrictions will be placed on structures currently under construction.

Through this public notice, the Kathmandu Metropolitan City has informed all concerned individuals, organizations, and construction entrepreneurs to proceed with construction activities in compliance with the Supreme Court's order and existing regulations.