E-Kantipur

Who doesn’t cherish the memories of childhood days? Everybody does. And I’m no exception. Growing up in the rustic settings of the outskirts of Kathmandu in the 1980s, we had plenty of playing fields and breathing spaces. We saw herds of cattle grazing on the grasslands along the banks of the Bagmati and the Manohara as farmers sang Asare songs. We enjoyed the sight of local and migratory birds in the open skies with a balmy, fresh air.

We witnessed local farmers taking a break from their mundane routine and enthusiastically observing their festivals and jatras — and savouring their traditional delicacies. We experienced cultures that were in perfect harmony with nature. We interacted with people who looked much happier and content.

Dying out

Outside the Gokarna forest, we still see exotic species of wildlife, hear jackals howling at night, and hear tales of marauding leopards that sneak into human settlements from the nearby Shivapuri forest. But I know, all that’s soon going to be history. The reasons are all too clear and for all to see: The Bagmati and the Manohara rivers are dying out, thanks to uncontrolled sand mining and sewage discharge.

The river basins are dying out too. The green fields are gradually shrinking, and whatever is left is rapidly turning into real estate development zones. Terraced farms and rolling green hills are being flattened by massive bulldozers to make way for, again, “21st century housing”. Small paths are being widened so that bulldozers and trucks can get deeper into the villages or farmlands. The landscapes are looking uglier by the day.

My paradise is lost!

Things weren’t as bad even 10 years ago. Then, the upper Bagmati basin would look all right, with green rice paddies turning yellow with the approaching autumn season. While the green fields of the Manohara — true to its name — would soothe the souls of passers-by. But that was short-lived. Maybe because the raging conflict in the early 2000s contributed to the population explosion in the valley, people started venturing out of the ring road for inexpensive pieces of land. And here we are today: The Bagmati fields have given way to a whole new township; the Manohara stretch, barely a mile away, is well on its way to a whole new identity too.

The boom

In the north-eastern parts of Kathmandu, such is the boom that even the sandy river banks and swampy little valleys aren’t being spared by a new breed of mostly young real estate entrepreneurs. I fear the worst. What would happen to the shanty towns and colonies in the event of an earthquake measuring 8 on the Richter scale, which we all know is long overdue? How would the residents of these tiny colonies on the slopes and sands cope with the drinking water and sanitation crisis, if all the newly carved plots are allowed to be developed? Would the shanty towns — I am sorry, that’s what they will look like — be liveable? Would they and their children have any breathing space, let alone playing space, left?

Most importantly, how will the valley, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with rare historic monuments and tall tales, look from the sky or from one of the many tourist hilltops that we already have? Much uglier. For, the valley townships are notorious for their concrete jungle identity already. The bad news is this: Such haphazard and unplanned land plotting and housing development isn’t happening in Kathmandu alone. It’s happening in all the major towns around the country, including Pokhara, Chitwan, Hetauda, Butwal, Bhairahawa and so on.

Too late

Before it’s too late — and I think it’s already too late — will the residents, more than the government, wake up and face the reality? Will they start boycotting the unplanned and unscientific plots of land or housing meant primarily to mint money, more than anything else?

I doubt they will.

So somebody’s got to nudge them. So unless the government carefully devises scientific and timely land use and housing policies, rules and regulations — and makes sure they are strictly enforced and followed — nothing will change. The ugly urban sprawl, the land plotting and housing boom will continue. If left unchecked, it will not just further damage our landscapes, the shoddy construction will threaten our population as well. Lest we forget, and I repeat, the Himalayan foot that we are on is prone to earthquakes.

This week, we heard that the parliamentary Natural Resources and Means Committee (NRMC) has been alarmed by the rampant land plotting around the country, and that it is concerned about the possible loss of precious agricultural land, particularly in the fertile plains of the Chure-Tarai region. Subsequently, The NRMC has asked four concerned ministries to suggest why the plotting of agricultural land shouldn’t be banned. That’s a welcome move indeed.

Prior to that, the NRMC took up the issue of massive exploitation of sand and stones in the Chure-Tarai region. Even as some entrepreneurs suffered, the government banned the move. And just yesterday, fresh reports say, Minister of Commerce Rajendra Mahato single-handedly re-lifted the ban, allowing certain “license holders” to run their quarries and export construction materials to neighbouring India! That’s surely going to kick up a lot of controversy, and the minister will likely land in hot soup.

Some hope

So let there be action. On the regulating land plotting and housing front, too, the government, along with the NRMC, really need to get serious. For everybody knows that the country’s ecological diversity is really among the planet’s most fragile and sensitive ones. The big question is this: Will the multi-party government (which showcased the “world’s highest” cabinet meeting at Kalapatthar near Everest base camp recently) do something about it?

Will it stop the unnatural and disaster-friendly plotting of precious agricultural and forest lands? If our open spaces and open fields can be protected from irrational forces, future generations will be thankful to us. Our paradise may have lost much of its pristine charm and glory; but should the government and all of us wake up and work hard together, things may change for the

better.

That will be paradise regained!

Surendra Phuyal

nepal.surendra@gmail.com

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