It's good that KMC does not hold lofty ideals of building fancy monorails and metros
On Sunday, newly-elected Mayor Balendra Shah unveiled the policies and programmes of Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) for the coming fiscal year 2022-23, with a focus on carrying out the financial, social and cultural reforms and development activities by maintaining ecological balance and ensuring greenery. KMC's residents have pinned high hopes on Shah that he will transform this culturally-rich city into a beautiful, livable capital. However, his vision to develop Kathmandu as a hub of international film-making and a historical centre will require more than just the zeal to do so. One doesn't need an expert to identify the problems facing Kathmandu or the valley as a whole. Barely having taken the oath of office as the newly-elected mayor, Shah had the onerous task of talking the locals of the landfill site at Sisdol and nearby Bancharedanda into allowing waste from the Kathmandu Valley to be managed there. Even weeks after assuming the post, the Kathmandu Valley has yet to rid itself of the garbage that has not been collected for months. Kathmandu, with its runaway urbanisation, is an eyesore, bereft of any greenery. Even as its residents worry about its rapidly disappearing rich cultural heritage, its ageold Newar houses and monuments are being demolished to make way for multi-storey commercial buildings and shopping complexes.
The policies and programmes of KMC seem to be directed towards reviving and preserving the culture, traditions and architecture of the Newars, in line with the slogan of building a 'cultural city, prosperous metropolis'.
Among others, a cultural profile of the metropolis is to be prepared in detail, which will document the art, traditions, lifestyle and festivals marked in the KMC, while continuing the tradition of the Guthi, and preserving and promoting the World Heritage Sites, namely Basantapur Durbar Square, Pashupatinath, Swoyambhunath and Boudhhanath. Under the metropolis education development programme, the Nepal Bhasa curriculum from grades 1 to 8 will be continued, and pictorial books and audio visual matter are to be prepared to for easy learning of the Newari language. Transforming bus stops into falchas, or traditional resting places, should give the city that welcome change. International branding of the Newari beverages, such as the fiery local liquor, holds much potential for export and tourism.
Among the other policies announced, KMC has said it will bring transparency in its revenue collection while creating an App to keep digital record of the tax payers of the metropolis. KMC will also start feasibility study for underground parking at the Khula Manch open space to ease the problem of traffic jams and parking. Mayor Shah has said he will hold an interaction with the general people face-to-face on the first Sunday of every month to discuss their grievances and financial and revenue issues. A positive aspect of the KMC's policies and programmes is that it does not carry any of the lofty ideals of building fancy monorails and metros. Shah, who won the mayoral race as an independent candidate, has a tough task at hand in realising his electoral promises. But if there is commitment and political will, there is no reason why he cannot deliver.
Transmission line
Construction of the 82-kilometre Marsyangdi-Kathmandu 220 kV double circuit transmission line has been completed recently. With the completion of the transmission line, it has come into full operation from last Thursday, as per the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA). This transmission line will ensure additional flow of energy from the Marsyangdi River corridor, which generates most of the electricity in the country. Till date, the NEA had been unable to carry all the energy generated from the Marsyangdi River corridor due to lack of a powerful transmission line. The US$ 10.3 million project is the lifeline for energy supply to the Kathmandu Valley.
However, the construction of the transmission line was delayed by many months due to obstruction from the locals. Two sub-stations at Matatirtha in Kathmandu and Markichowk in Tanahun have yet to be constructed. These sub-stations should also be completed in time so that the energy produced from the Marsyangdi area can be supplied to the Valley.
Building power plants is not enough; building the transmission lines with full carrying capacity is equally important. Timely construction of transmission lines will help resolve problems faced by private investors in the energy sector.
A version of this article appears in the print on June 21, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.
