The Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers has filed a petition at the Supreme Court (SC), seeking a review of its ruling that mandates leaving 20 meters of space on either side of rivers in the Kathmandu Valley.

A joint bench of Justices Dr Ananda Mohan Bhattarai and Binod Sharma had previously issued a verdict requiring the preservation of 20 meters of space along rivers and ordered the demolition of settlements encroaching on public land.

In its petition, the government argued that decisions on riverbank spaces fall under the purview of the executive branch, and the SC's verdict conflicts with this authority.

Earlier, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli had expressed the government's intention to challenge the SC's ruling, which banned construction within an additional 20 meters of riverbanks.

Phanindra Gautam, secretary at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, filed the petition through the Office of the Attorney General. The petition claims that the SC's verdict requires a review due to its impracticality for implementation.

The government also contended that the issue could exceed judicial management standards if the verdict remains unenforced. -- RSS