KATHMANDU
Angry residents and business owners launched fresh protests in the city of Birgunj. The crowds are fighting a government plan to widen the main road, demanding fair financial compensation and new housing before officials tear down their properties.
Led by local activist groups, protestors burned tires in the streets and shouted slogans against the ongoing demolition drive. The anger boiled over after heavy bulldozers, sent by local road and city authorities, started clearing away structures built along the edges of the existing highway.
The Department of Roads aims to widen the major city road to 25 meters on each side, stretching from Gandak Chowk to Miteri Bridge. However, local citizens point out that this massive construction project will negatively impact more than 1,100 property owners and hurt thousands of local businesses. The demonstrators firmly warn that their protests will not stop until the government creates a clear rehabilitation package for everyone affected.
On the other hand, government authorities state they are simply following a recent Supreme Court ruling. This legal decision cleared away past obstacles that had delayed the road expansion project for a long time. Officials are now urging residents to cooperate and remove any structures sitting within the official road boundaries on their own. Still, locals remain stubborn, stating that the government cannot simply destroy their livelihoods without offering financial help first.