Chiri Babu Maharjan has earned the people's trust, helping him win a second term as mayor of Lalitpur Metropolitan City. Prior to becoming mayor of Lalitpur Metropolitan City, Maharjan was elected ward chairperson three times in a row. Maharjan has several projects in the works to make Lalitpur a historically liveable city while also protecting the environment. Amidst Mayor Maharjan's busy schedule, Bal Krishna Sah of The Himalayan Times spoke with Maharjan about his plans, visions, and ongoing projects for Lalitpur denizens. Excerpts:
Aside from being the mayor of LMC, how would you like to present yourself?
I am Chiri Babu Maharjan. In Newari, Chiri Babu means the youngest son. This is the organic name. Because my elder brother's name is Tari Babu, which means 'elder son' in the Newari language. We are from indigenous farmer families in the valley. I finished my education in government schools. We began working and studying together after successfully completing secondary school in 1975. I studied ICom at the Public Youth Campus, BCom at the Patan Campus, and MCom at Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur. I have been involved in sociopolitical activism since I was in grade ten.
We were also involved in a variety of social activities. There were more visible temples, statutes, and structures than households, as well as images of deities, but that has all changed due to rapid urbanisation. Until the mid-1975s, such scenarios existed. But that is not the case now. Economically, it was a bad situation. We had a really hard time. Nonetheless, we accomplished something positive. It was not an easy life. The locals of Lalitpur were primarily based on agriculture. We had plenty of fertile land. The irony is that concrete structures occupy the majority of the area now.
What are the most significant differences you have noticed between your childhood and present-day Lalitpur?
During the monsoon season, Lagankhel and Jawalkhel were both full of water, and there were several water bodies. We played football at Lagankhel field, which is now occupied by Rajdal. It was our playground, and we swam in the ponds there. That was our lives. However, there is currently less than 3 per cent open space in Lalitpur, which is extremely low. When we say open space, we do not mean that the Rajdal has occupied it; rather, general citizens are unable to access it. To us, that is not open space. The loss of open spaces is a major concern for me. And with urbanisation, there are no open spaces, and urbanisation occurs at an uncontrollable rate. It is unplanned urbanisation that worries us.
In Lalitpur, we have large roads and areas, not because they are necessary but because they are the chariot pulling routes. The chariot, which stands 60 feet tall and weighs almost 60 tonnes, needs extra space to be pulled. That is why a chariot route has big roads. Otherwise, the roads would have been narrower. When I was a child, places were open. We used to see the red chariot being pulled from stupas built at major intersections.
It allowed us to observe the chariot move from one location to another with bells jingling. Those were the days. However, you cannot see anything because the houses are taller than the chariot, and there are no chances of hearing the jungling of bells.
There were quite a few vehicles, and we, a group of friends, used to collect the registration numbers of vehicles, and only 10 or 12 appeared within three or four hours. However, this has completely changed. The worst part is that there were many water bodies, ponds, and open spaces in Lagankhel that were filled with water immediately after the monsoon or during heavy rain. In the Newari language, lagankhel also refers to bodies of water. There was plenty of water back then, and there was greenery everywhere. It remained this way until the 1980s. However, Rajdal had occupied the property. We had plenty of natural water spouts. The majority of them have disappeared, with only a few remaining. I am trying to keep them alive. However, this is one of the most challenging jobs I have encountered.
What have you accomplished so far, and what have you been up to since taking office?
When I was elected seven years ago, we did not have any local elections in a long time, and the office was run by bureaucrats. We had no access to information. Whatever was available was unreliable because the staff changed frequently. I have had to start from scratch. The chief administrative officer used to arrive with employees, and they would depart. And new employees frequently had disagreements with older employees. However, everything we intended to do required data, which was not available. We have crossed the initial phase and have gathered data and planned plenty of projects, such as green and blue projects, in relation to making Lalitpur more green and sustainably developed.
When I first came here, I made a couple of promises, one of which was that I would not give anyone an inch of land because we only have three per cent open space now, and in order to be a smart city, we need at least ten percent open space.
Similarly, several ponds, such as Purna Chandi Pond, were preserved three years ago, and Sapta Patal Pond is in the process of being preserved. We have several ponds, which serve as open space while also beautifying the area. Water is the most important beautifying component.
Rajdal occupied two ponds that have been revived. These ponds covered 30 ropani, while Sapta Patal Pond covered 14.5 ropani. So, following an agreement with the army, we were able to implement a green and blue project. It included the installation of a transparent green fence; second, digging ponds; and third, providing irrigation facilities through the pond. These three projects, which I am personally involved in, will have a positive impact on Lalitpur. The first project has been completed. Work has begun on second. The third project was more difficult to obtain approval from the Road Department because, in Nepal, all roads wider than eight metres belong to the federal government and roads less than eight metres belong to the local government. However, the road is now almost 60 metres wide. So, we need to obtain permission from the road department. The reason is that the Royal Canal (RaJkulo). It began with the Licchavi dynasty. LMC is pursuing bringing water from Rajkulo to fill the ponds under the green and blue project with the purpose of recharging the ponds. It starts 14.2 kilometres south of Tika Bhairav. It comes from Tika Bhairav and flows up to the ponds. There are other systems and branches of Rajkulo that lead to the Central Zoo.
But Rajkulo was destroyed during the construction of the Ring Road. We have the ring road, but our legendary heritage is gone. As a result, we need to revive it. So, to address that, my third project is to bring RaJkulo back to that location, which is 14.2 kilometres away. A study has been conducted, and the results show that it is possible. However, the study suggests that bringing the Rajkulo in a projected way would be difficult due to the abundance of utilities already present. Several people will be affected. The flow of water from Tika Bhairav to that location is due to gravity. You do not need the pump. It happens automatically. So, combining the Rajkulu and drainage does not work because there are so many other utilities. According to the studies, we should keep that type of drainage in the centre of the road. That is quite meaningful. We applied for permission to dig based on expert opinions and suggestions, but we did not receive approval for quite some time. But I had asked my engineers to continuously hammer them for approval, and we recently received approval for that.
Based on that approval, we will now issue a tender for the installation of the drainage line. Our research demonstrates that this is quite feasible. This is an excellent project. The green and blue project has a hidden advantage in that we are going to build a large pond over there. As previously stated, gravity flow exists, culminating in the Bagmati to the north. As a result, the water flows due to gravity. When it fills all of the ponds, the spillover flows to Bagmati. This is the geography and terrain of the city. Water experts believe that revival of ponds would rejuvenate the majority of the water spouts. Birds and butterflies would increase in the area.
How are you dealing with public transportation and air pollution?
Since last year, we have not purchased any fossil fuel vehicles. We purchased all of the e-vehicles, and the metropolis uses e-scooters. We are looking to buy e-garbage trucks. However, it is currently unavailable in Kathmandu. As soon as we get them, we will replace fossil fuels driven garbage trucks.
We have also given tax rebates to citizens who produce evidence of ownership of e-vehicles. We also discourage the use of motorbikes. Because the bikes are used for even minor tasks. You ride your bike to buy vegetables within a five-minute walking distance. As a result, this had a variety of effects. To address them, we are canvassing. I recently attended the World Bank's international seminar on transformational transportation. It was extremely beneficial, and I mentioned that my city has been plagued by two-wheelers, and we talked about how to address the growing motorbike problem. The World Bank sent three experts. They have gathered all the information from us. Hopefully, they will submit their documents to headquarters. So, the project may come later regarding motorcycle issues.
We have also invested in green buses. For example, Sajha Yatayat, in collaboration with LMC, is converting old fossil fuel buses to electric vehicles and has stopped purchasing fossil fuel buses. We also intend to operate e-shuttle buses, which will also promote green energy. Our city is a heritage site. We are taking good care of our tangible and intangible heritage. We completed the majority of the tasks with the help of locals. Furthermore, we discussed metro transportation, which is one of the last options for resolving the public transportation issue. However, LMC and KMC must collaborate because we require a larger area for transportation, but it will take time, and KMC has yet to agree.
What benefits would citizens receive if Lalitpur was transformed into a smart city?
Citizens would benefit from an open, pollution-free city, which would also revitalise the culture. My visit abroad also aided me greatly, as I observed and photographed several positive initiatives and implemented them here, such as modern pavements and 42 parks. All of them have been constructed differently abled friendly and equipped with CCTV, smart lights for security purposes all of these constructed during my tenure. We are also restoring heritage houses, which would help promote heritage tourism. Transparent fencing would also be promoted, allowing people to see through things.
My long-term goal is to grow taller trees and create more parks. To make the city green and environmentally friendly, I want to make Lalitpur a historically livable city that connects tangible and intangible heritages. This would eventually contribute to the holistic development of society and the livelihoods of people in LMC.
How difficult or easy has Lalitpur been politically for you?
I would describe myself as a developer rather than a politician. Because in 2017, I won by a very small margin. But in the last election, I received 44,000 votes. However, Lalitpur has only 30,000 Nepali Congress voters. So I would say that Lalitpur has been kind to me regardless of my political affiliation. I also bet with Sher Bahadur Deuba, the chair of the Nepali Congress, on running in the election. If I won the election, you would give me 100 rupees, and if I lost, I would give you 100,000 rupees. After winning, he gave me 1,000 rupees, but I refused and accepted only 100 rupees. That is how I received my ticket for mayor, and so far it has been very good, and I would prefer to continue serving as mayor rather than in any other position because it is an executive position and I can deliver results quickly.
How have your relations been with KMC and its mayor?
I had never met Mayor Balendra Shah until we had an interview. He complimented me during that interview. In several interviews, he stated that Chiri Babu Maharjan is the mayor he looks up to. It went as such until the Kathmandu Valley Mayor Forum election was held. In that meeting, Balendra Shah stated that he should be the forum's chairperson, but none of the mayors or deputy mayors supported him, while everyone unanimously supported me. He asserted that, as the executive head of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, he should be the chairperson. "Protocally, I am above Chiri Babu Maharjan, so I should be the chairperson," Balendra Shah stated. However, the majority were in my favour which he didn't like. But we are on good terms. We talk on the phone and respect each other's invitations.
