Unclean and graying

The messy Kathmandu



Unchecked urbanization and near total absence of town planning have turned Kathmandu Valley into a concrete jungle, with its brick-and-mortar ‘trees’ getting taller and more numerous with each passing year. In 2007, the capital was home to 1,000 high-rise apartments; by 2012, the number of high rises had more than tripled to over 3,500. They cater to an estimated 1.7 million people who call Kathmandu home (census 2011). The urban population of Nepal, growing at over five percent per annum, is putting a huge pressure on basis utilities, and taking a big toll on people’s health.



Access to clean water in Kathmandu has declined from 68 percent of the households in 2003 to 58 percent in 2010, while open areas have dwindled from 63 percent to 41 percent in the last two decades. The resulting increase in air and water pollution has resulted in rapid rise in the counts of respiratory and water-borne diseases. But who is responsible for this mess? Apparently, no one, certainly not the relevant government authorities. Officials at Kathmandu Metropolitan City appear keener to narrate the tale of Kathmandu’s dismal failures than to accept their own failings and devise ways to rectify them.



The challenges posed by inadequate infrastructure, haphazard planning, and deteriorating environment is likely to get from bad to worse in the absence of any vision to surmount these challenges. There is no shortage of plans, in fact many are in the works. There is the National Land Use Policy 2012, which categorizes land as industrial, residential, commercial, and agricultural, the distinction made vital by wanton construction activities in every open space. The Department of Roads is working on sustainable urban transport project with its focus on construction of electric bus lanes along various routes on the Ring Road to minimize traffic congestion. But if the past is any guide, few envisioned plans will see the light of the day. The problem, again, is that there is no long-term vision. Instead of promoting healthier living through pedestrian-friendly roads and greater use of bicycles, the focus seems to be on expanding roads to adjust to the high import of vehicles, which can only lead to more pollution.



Kathmandu is prone to big earthquakes, and given the unplanned development in the valley in the last few decades, a big temblor could cause a huge loss of lives, property, and infrastructure. But so far, there is no mechanism to ensure that constructions comply with building codes and by-laws to maintain social and ecological balance. Schools, colleges, nursing homes, and hospitals have been established in buildings meant for residential purposes, hampering service delivery and putting people and property under great risk. Shopping malls are sprouting up everywhere, which, given the acute shortage of power, are acting as a drain on the already scarce supply of petro products. One of the long thought of solutions to ease Kathmandu’s woes has been shifting the capital, a solution which comes with its own set of limitations. But it is hard to see how things will improve if everyone is content with the status quo. The slogan of Clean and Green Kathmandu appears more and more like a dream.

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