KATHMANDU, Sep 16: The Gen Z protests of September 8 and 9 centered largely inside the Kathmandu valley have left Nepal Police struggling to provide regular services, with hundreds of police stations destroyed in arson and thousands of officers without uniforms.
Approximately 218 police stations (police circles, beats, divisions, bureaus and offices) were vandalized and burned largely on the second day of the unrest on September 9. Of them, 112 stations suffered complete destruction and 96 stations suffered damages.
Police have estimated that over 12,000 police uniforms were burned into ashes during the protest. The preliminary report shows that 117 four wheelers of the police were completely destroyed, four partially damaged and 158 two wheelers damaged. Three police personnel were killed in the protest.
Nepal Police approval required for use of police uniform in med...
With police stations across the country rendered defunct, officers are now struggling to carry out even basic law enforcement duties.
The impact is starkly visible in the Kathmandu valley. Police personnel, many without uniforms and some wearing sandals, are now managing traffic flow on the capital’s crowded streets. This has led to increased traffic congestion than regular days.
In this regard, newly appointed Home Minister Om Prakash Aryal on Tuesday went to inspect the Kathmandu Valley Traffic Police Office where he advised the traffic police to work under full confidence and that the government will leave no stone unturned to support the police.
Meanwhile, locals in the valley are coming forward to restore the police stations that were torched during the protest. However, without proper amenities placed at the stations, no work, except for emergency situations, have resumed in most of the stations. Around 10,000 police personnel are deployed in various police offices across the valley, majority of whom have not resumed work due to lack of working environment. Usually, police personnel stay at the station itself but at present, the stations have been rendered uninhabitable.
The workload for police has been further worsened by the prison break that occurred during the chaos. Authorities confirmed that over 15,000 detainees and prisoners escaped on September 9, and more than 11,000 remain at large, posing a serious challenge to public safety.
Similarly, the general public have provided more than 30,000 video footage of vandalism and attacks on security infrastructure. Police had earlier requested people to provide such videos to help them in the investigation. This has further added to the already heavy workload of the police force.
Meanwhile, police are also under scrutiny for excessive use of force against the young protestors on September 8. Hundreds of live gunshots were fired against the protestors. The police headquarters has also formed a probe committee under the leadership of DIG Deepak Regmi. Police suspect that many shots were fired from looted guns by ‘infiltrators’ during the protest.
Amidst the grim situation Nepal Police have expressed confidence to provide security to the public like in the previous days. Police spokesperson DIG Binod Ghimire said, “Despite the situation, a large number of public have come together to support us to rebuild the police station and we are confident that our trust with the public will be strengthened in the coming days.”
_20230506072433.jpg)
