By A Staff Reporter
Kathmandu, Sept. 26: The Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) has said that nearly 95 per cent of the Kamal Pokhari restoration work has been completed.
Briefing a monitoring team led by KMC Mayor Bidhya Sundar Shakya and comprising vice-chairman of Urban Development Commission Saroj Basnet and local representatives on Saturday, engineer of the Urban Infrastructure Development Department Prem Shrestha said restoration work of this historic pond was nearing completion.

Shrestha said only a small portion of the work were left now, including the entrance gate, some parts of the toilet and painting. The first phase of the pond restoration process is being carried out and 95 per cent of the work has been completed so far, he said.
The KMC has adopted a rainwater harvesting and ground water recharge system as part of a water replenishing tool to ensure sufficient water storage in the pond. This historic pond is now brimming with fresh water again.
Inspecting the pond, Mayor Shakya said he was elated to see how the restoration work of this beautiful pond reached near completion, despite witnessing several obstacles due to pointless disputes.

The pond would be inaugurated soon and linked with tourism, he said, adding that the pond was being restored with an aim of establishing it as a historical tourist site. “People have only noticed Ranipokhari. But we have come up with a plan to make Kamalpokhari more beautiful and attractive than Ranipokhari,” he said.
Pointing to the pond brimming with fresh water, Shakya said rainwater would fill the pond even during dry season and help maintain the beauty of the pond.

He added that in the second phase of the restoration process, a beautiful park would be constructed at the place occupied by the police station.
The city office has aimed to protect and promote all ponds located inside the city and for this, the metropolis has been in consultation with experts, Shakya said.

Vice-chairman of the Commission Basnet said the city office had been constructing a children's park, stone fountain, disabled-friendly toilet and garden. There will be four attractive and traditional mandaps or altars, exhibiting cultural significance in the four corners of the pond and in the middle of the eastern part.
The pond is being restored with an investment of Rs. 63.6 million by adopting the traditional Newari architecture and Vastu Shastra, which is a traditional system of architecture, said Basnet.

This pond will feature chaityas (Buddhist temple) and five Makardhara (stone spouts bearing the image of the head of crocodile). The estimated monthly cost for its management is around Rs. 150,000.
The contract for the restoration was awarded to Kandel Construction Service Company. The skilled and experienced workers from Bungmati in Bhaktapur and Lalitpur have been used for the construction work.