Birgunj. It has been three months since some parts of ghantaghar collapsed, a symbol of Birgunj’s prestige, but the repair has not been completed. Birgunj residents have demanded that the maintenance of the ‘balcony’ of ghantaghar, which was demolished on February 15, should be completed as soon as possible.
Ghantaghar is the main attraction of domestic and foreign tourists visiting Birgunj. It has been covered in the name of maintenance. Tourists visiting here are upset with such a scene.
Chief Administrative Officer of Birgunj Metropolitan City, Arvind Lal Karna, said that it took a little more time for the maintenance of the clock tower as it was dilapidated. “It took a little more time to repair the structure as it is an old structure,” he said, adding, “We are also urging the entrepreneurs to complete the repair of the structure at the earliest.” ‘
Engineer of Birgunj Metropolitan City Infrastructure Division Gaurav Jha said that the sunlight has damaged the balcony due to lack of proper drainage in the balcony of Ghantaghar. “Even the sun has cracked in the balcony of the clock tower. The bricks of the wall raised at ghantaghar have also started falling,” he said, adding, “We are not only the core building of the clock tower but we are moving ahead with the repair work by breaking the roof of the balcony.” ‘
Engineer Jha said that it took some time to identify the problem seen in ghantaghar and prepare the cost estimate. “It also took some time to collect details of the damage to the clock tower and identify the problem. After that, it took some time to prepare the cost estimate for maintenance after the damage,” he said, adding that it took some more time to tie the scaffolding required for maintenance. It was also difficult to find skilled technicians and human resources to work in the high altitude areas. ‘
Engineer Jha claimed that the maintenance work of the clock tower is going on now. “The clock tower is currently being constructed at an altitude of 50 to 60 feet,” he said. It seems that the work has been delayed due to the high possibility of damage to the lower structure even if the machine or the work is done at a high speed. ‘
Engineer Jha claimed that it would take more than one and a half months to complete the repair work of ghantaghar. “The rods placed on the balcony of ghantaghar have been damaged due to rust,” he said, adding, “It is necessary to repair the damaged rods by removing them with new rods.” ‘
“There is a problem of water leakage in the balcony of Ghantaghar due to lack of proper drainage system of water falling from the sky,” he said. It is also being managed properly. ‘
For the past one-and-a-half months, the METROPOLIS has been carrying out scaffolding and other works at ghantaghar. On the other hand, work is being carried out by covering the clock tower from all sides as there is a lot of traffic congestion in the ghantaghar area. Engineer Jha said that it took a little more time as the maintenance work of the clock tower was complicated.
The clock tower is being constructed at a cost of Rs 2 million. Birgunj Metropolitan City has awarded the contract to complete the construction work by July 15, 2018. The clock tower in Birgunj is said to have been constructed on February 8, 1979. At that time, the students of Yonago city of Japan had to cut the money for a day’s lunch and arrange the necessary budget to keep the clock tower and the clock there.
Japanese Ambassador to Nepal Maeda Toru had also expressed concern over the clock tower when he visited Birgunj on April 15, according to kmc officials.
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