KATHMANDU: Kathmandu Mayor Balendra Shah and Nepal Police IGP Deepak Thapa have agreed verbally to demolish the earthquake-damaged police building at Hanuman Dhoka, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The building once housed the District Police Office and Crime Investigation Office but is now unsafe and has faced local demands for removal.

The demolition will clear space to restore the traditional pond used in the Machhindranath chariot festival, preserving the area’s cultural heritage.

The Metropolitan Office will provide land to build a new traffic police facility to address space shortages at their current Ramshahpath office.

The Cyber Bureau is relocating from Bhotahiti to a new Samakhusi building, with plans to convert the old bureau site into Ward No. 27 office of Kathmandu Metropolitan City.

Though a verbal understanding exists, a formal written agreement is still pending.