Ownership dispute delays university liaison office reconstruction

Kathmandu, July 24:The four-and-a-half-storey liaison office of the Nepal Sanskrit University (NSU) at Basantapur still stands in support of multiple logs, more than eight years after it was violently shaken by the devastating Gorkha earthquake.  

Locals, owners of curio and other shops in the area live in constant fear, worried that even a mild tremor might topple the building.

At Kathmandu or Hanumandhoka Durbar Square, reconstruction and restoration work have been moving at an encouraging pace. The iconic Gaddi Baithak, nine-storey palace, Dasavatar Temple, and Kasthamandap have been fully rebuilt and some have come into operation. 

The liaison office of the NSU, formerly Mahendra Sanskrit University, leans against wooden struts, bearing the scars of that fateful afternoon of April 25, 2015 -- longingly waiting for reconstruction for eight years. 

The National Reconstruction Authority (NRA), Department of Archaeology (DoA), Kathmandu Valley Development Trust (KVDT), Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), among others, are all active in the reconstruction and restoration of other heritage structures in the area but none have taken the responsibility of the NSU rebuilding.

The main stakeholders, the TU and the NSU, do not seem to adequately care for their liaison office. Both stakeholders have not taken any steps to clear the red-zone listed building and minimise the risk in the surrounding area.      

After a long time, it seems that the building which has remained in dilapidated condition, will get justice and the fear of locals, visitors and curio shop owners of the platform in front of Gaddi Baithak, would come to an end.   

Macharaja Maharjan, ward chairman of KMC-23, said that municipal executive meeting of the KMC had made a decision to clear the area demolishing the risky building. 

The decision was taken around four to five months ago after none took the responsibility about the building.  Both the red-zone listed buildings of the NSU and Nava Adarsha School will be demolished. "Demolishing process can be possible after shifting students from the school, so we are searching for other schools to shift them," he said. 

"Our first priority is demolishing the dilapidated building and clear the area and acquire the land under the ownership of KMC," he continued. "For this task, we are collecting the documents related to the building." 

After the building comes under the ownership of KMC, the area would be utilised properly as per the concept of World Heritage Site (WHS) because the area is located inside the WHS, he stated.   

The rear part of the NSU building of Gyache Maga alley side is more vulnerable than the front part of the building. The bricks have been freely fallen from the wall. There is a risk to locals to use this alley, but they are forced to use despite the risk to reach home, said Ganapati Lal Shrestha, local heritage activist.         

"We have proposed to use such area to settle living gods Ganesh and Bhairav providing all facilities as similar to living goddess Kumari. It will support to attract tourists and living gods Ganesh and Bhairav will get respect and honour like Kumari," he said. 

Chairman Maharjan said that it is believed that the area used to be home of Ganesh and Bhairav. It would be good if living gods are kept close to building of Kumari home. 

There is also a discussion underway on the concept of establishing museum but it has not been finalised yet, he said. 

He said, "We found that the land is registered under TU’s name." 

The NSU used the building before the earthquake and it shifted from here after the earthquake badly damaged it. 

Before the ratification of the NSU Act in 1986, the building was under the ownership of the TU. After the act, TU handed over the building to the newly-established NSU, which has its central office in Beljhundi, Dang, Province 5, to use as its liaison office in Kathmandu and a research centre.

However, according to the Sanskrit University, TU only handed over the ownership orally and not legally. This means that even though the NSU has used the building for 35 years, its ownership still remains with the TU. 

NSU says it can’t move forward with reconstruction because of the dispute relating to ownership, while the TU says that NSU is solely responsible for the building and its renovation because it has been using it since the 1980s.

And because of this dispute, neither university has taken any initiative to begin rebuilding the severely damaged building, nor have they made any effort to manage funds for it.