Residents of Kattike Maintain Night-Long Vigil to Halt Tipper Truck Disturbance

Residents of the Kattike area in Shankharapur Municipality have begun stopping tipper trucks from evening onwards, keeping the roads closed throughout the night as a form of protest. They have advised the tipper drivers to use alternative routes, warning of action if they fail to comply after three notices, according to the municipality.

Ramesh Napit, the municipality chief, explained that tipper trucks are being stopped because the roads are narrow and the bridges small. He noted that the road had been constructed with support from the Asian Development Bank. Kathmandu, 12 Baisakh.

“The road is closed, please turn the tipper trucks back. Do not force your way through. We are stopping the tippers, not you,” local residents at the border between wards 3 and 5 of Shankharapur Municipality told tipper drivers at 11:30 pm on Wednesday. A group of 5-6 villagers, including Sanbahadur Pakhrin and Rasli Tamang, maintained a vigil throughout the night. When a stream of tipper trucks arrived, they blocked the road and prevented them from proceeding. The trucks were sent back the same way they came.

“Don’t you know you can’t come here? If you do, why have you come?” Rasli questioned the drivers. Drivers pleaded to pass just this once, some even calling contractors. However, locals did not allow the tippers to move forward. “No, it’s not happening. Whoever’s call it may be, it won’t work. We have stayed awake all night,” Rasli said, refusing to clear the road. Drivers have been choosing the Sankhu-Kattike route for travel to Sipaghat in Kavrepalanchok, Nagarkot in Bhaktapur, and Melamchi in Sindhupalchok, which is about 7 kilometers from Sankhu.

Drivers demand to be allowed to use alternative routes, but the locals who are on guard all night reject this request. “Don’t force your way. We have sent messages to the municipality and called the traffic police, but that has only increased the problems,” Pakhrin warned the drivers. Locals suggested alternate paths through Jaharsinghpauwa and Nagarkot via Bhaktapur. Ultimately, drivers were compelled to turn the tippers around. According to Pakhrin, after three warnings, if trucks persist, the municipality proceeds with legal action.

Locals have been taking turns standing guard on the roads at night to prevent tipper trucks from passing through. “Tonight is our turn. Tomorrow, another group will take over. We are working together,” Pakhrin said. Since starting the night watch, the number of tipper trucks has decreased. “Previously, about 150 to 200 tippers used to pass, now only about 8 to 10 come,” he added. “Tipper trucks come noisily, disturbing our homes and making it impossible to sleep. That’s why we have started taking shifts to stay awake on the roads.” During daytime, locals also prevent tipper trucks from entering this area.

Prior to the elections, municipal police monitored the area for two weeks. But after their absence, residents took it upon themselves to keep vigil through the night. According to Ramesh Napit, the road from Sankhu to Kattike is narrow, leading to restrictions on tipper trucks. “The roads are narrow and the bridges small, so tipper trucks are not allowed to operate here,” he said. “There is also a risk of accidents, since the vehicles exceed allowed weight limits.”

According to Chief Napit, the road was constructed with assistance from the Asian Development Bank (ADB). “It’s a very old road, previously just a footpath. It was paved six to seven years ago,” he said. Kattike, located in a tourist area, has seen a rise in domestic and international tourists. However, locals complain that tipper trucks cause problems here. “The government should provide alternative arrangements for tipper trucks so we don’t have to stay awake all night,” they demand a long-term solution.