13 policemen injured, tear gas attack while trying to drain water

DHANGADHI: JULY 21 – A clash has taken place between locals and police in Dhangadhi of Kailali while trying to drain the frozen rainwater. Locals pelted stones at the police on Tuesday evening while they were discharging frozen water towards the Mohana River through Ward No. 2 in Dhangadhi Sub-Metropolis-3.

According to Kailali Chief Superintendent of Police (SP) Bishwa Adhikari, 12 people, including Nepal Police and Armed Police Force, were injured in the incident. According to him, the injured are undergoing treatment at Seti Provincial Hospital. Their condition is stable.

SP Adhikari informed that the police fired 50 tear gas shells to disperse the angry crowd. After the power office was inundated due to incessant rains and the power supply was disrupted, the police used force to drain the water which was blocked by the locals by filling gravel in the culvert.

Earlier on Monday, the police had forcibly evacuated the gravel using a JCB inserted in the culvert. But after the locals closed the culvert again on the same night, the area including the power office and the market were inundated by the rain since Monday night.

Locals of Ward No. 2 have been obstructing the settlement saying that the settlement will be inundated. Earlier on Sunday, a meeting was held at the District Administration Office in the presence of ward heads and local leaders of wards 2 and 3 and decided to provide proper drainage. But the locals are not agreeing to drain the water.