Kathmandu, May 24: In Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC), only half of the development projects has managed to get continuity due to COVID-19 pandemic. KMC has so far managed to initiate 105 big and small development construction projects in the current fiscal year.

Among them, only 50 projects are being continuously constructed now. KMC Department of Physical Infrastructure Development Chief Ram Thapa said, “Currently the country is on lockdown to stem the raging coronavirus. Other works except the most essential are not taking place. There is a lack of necessary human resources and construction materials as well as trouble in transporting the supplies. These factors have hampered the construction works.”

Work related to blacktopping, drainage management, street lamp and park construction have come to a halt in wards 2, 3, 6, 22 and 23, added Thapa.

Likewise, re-construction of Kamalpokhari which was almost in the final phase, has been put on hold for now. However, some development and construction work operational in other wards have continued despite the pandemic.

In the current fiscal year, KMC had allocated a budget of NRs 3.95 billion for physical infrastructure development projects. As of now, only 22 percent of the allocated budget has been spent.

Thapa also mentioned,”Coronavirus pandemic has limited our strength to make budgetary expenses, so the capital spending has shrunk.”

(With inputs from agencies)