Improvement drives have to be undertaken with a lot of caution. The initiatives taken in haste can be counterproductive. For example, the removal of the street vendors is a great endeavour, but it should have been undertaken after making arrangements for them to earn their livelihood. What should be admitted is that these persons had created jobs on their own
The country has been virtually shaken by the news of the cover up of the Tukucha stream in various segments of its course, principally in the proximity of the Jai Nepal Cinema Hall. This is, however, not a solitary incident. The Dhobi Khola has also been reported to have been intercepted with the connection of drain pipes and culverts. This has led to floods on either side of the river bank, thereby bringing untold sufferings to the people.
The problem has been so acute that the Kathmandu Valley Development Authority is seeking to address it through a new project with the preparation of a master plan. The Kathmandu Metropolitan City has also vowed to solve the problem of Tukucha rivulet's encroachment despite its enormity. In fact, Tukucha and Dhobi Khola are colloquial names, and their original names are Icchumati and Rudramati.
Kathmandu can also be named as the Punjab of Nepal on account of five rivers flowing around it. In Kathmandu, one can see the Bagmati, Vishnumati, Icchumati, Rudramati and Manohara as are Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas and Sutlaj in Punjab, India. All these rivers in Nepal at the present are like virtual sewers due to the indiscriminate connection of sewer lines to them.
Most of the rivers around the globe have been through this undesirable state of affairs. The Cheonggyecheon River flowing through the heart of Seoul, the capital city of South Korea, was so polluted and smelly that a decision was taken to cover it up and make a multilevel highway. The highway had to be renovated after years of bearing excessive traffic load.
However, a decision to demolish the structure was taken in view of the environmental degradation of the area. It was made into a recreational hub, consisting of parks and historical conserved areas. It was so much liked by the people that some 50 million people visited it in two years after the completion of this demolition and restoration Project. This project became so successful that a similar improvement measure was mooted for the Los Angeles River.
The Thames River flowing through the centre of London, the capital of the British Empire, had also a similar story. It was so polluted that the parliamentarians refused to work from the newly designed Parliamentary Building in 1934. Many people lost their lives to the cholera epidemic. That was the time when Nepal was rocked by an earthquake of a high magnitude. This was because of the connection of sewers of the city to the river. Later, sewer pipes were constructed on either side of the river and connected to a treatment plant downstream. It made the river clean, restoring the salmon fish and other aquatic animals of the river.
It shows that it is not only Nepal which has been through such an unpleasant situation. Many countries in the east as well as the west had such bitter experiences. But they have now overcome this situation and have been able to maintain a clean environ. Nepal also can achieve this unusual feat if the projects are executed with dedication and devotion. This requires strong political will as demonstrated by Lee Kuan Yew in Singapore.
Luckily Nepal also appears to have one such personality in the form of the present mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City even though it is too early to make such a statement now. The improvement measures appear sweet in the beginning, but they do not take long to turn sour. The glaring example is the Extension Drive of Paris by Napoleon, which was so heavily criticised that he faced a defeat in the following election.
Such improvement drives have to be undertaken with a lot of caution. Hurry makes a bad curry. So, the initiatives taken in haste can be counterproductive. For example, the removal of the street vendors is a great endeavour, but it should have been undertaken after making arrangements for them to earn their livelihood. What should be admitted is that these persons had created jobs on their own. It would be an uphill task for the government to provide employment to them. New improvement measures should not bring sadness to the people. Instead it should bring ease and comfort to them. In several countries, this approach has been followed successfully to address the street vendors' problem.
One may point at the shortage of land in the Kathmandu metropolis, but if thought innovatively, solutions are always available. In Connaught Circus in Delhi, Palki Bazaar has been created in a semi underground space. Whilst there is shopping underneath, a park and garden have been created at the top. Open areas, however few in Kathmandu, can be planned in such a manner whereby their open characteristics are maintained while creating space underground.
The Ichhumati and the other river development program can also be carried out effectively if planned in advance. For this, many buildings will have to be demolished. But there should be a proper compensation mechanism for the affected building owners, and it can be quite costly in the beginning. The demolition drive of the river in Seoul had cost $960 million. But much of the initial cost was recovered through the development of recreation hubs.
The creation of water bodies along the course of the rivers that can promote boating and cruises can provide a great environmental and aesthetic facelift. Of course, it needs large volumes of water in the winter, but that can be fulfilled through the construction of reservoirs upstream. These reservoirs not only prevent floods in the rainy season but water harvested in them can cater to the demand of the water bodies downstream in the winter.
The Kathmandu Valley has been bestowed with stunning beauty along with the rivers.
Unfortunately, this riverine ambience has been in the sidelines.
But there are possibilities to again bring back to their original glory by performing cautiously and drawing lessons from other countries of the world.
A version of this article appears in the print on September 20, 2022 of The Himalayan Times.