By- Sarvodaya Rana, 4th Year Student, NLU Delhi
Kathmandu Valley happens to be the socio-economic centre of Nepal. Housing three cities, one of which is the capital city of Kathmandu itself, the valley is an important economic as well as a cultural hub for the country. However, it is not in recent years that Kathmandu came into prominence. The ancient cities of Kathmandu have acted as strategic stops in the trade route that runs between India to Tibet since at least the 15th century[1]. However, behind the stability and the prowess of the valley lies the power of nature. A simple analysis of the valley's ecology brings into light the amazing geographical qualities it possesses. Having been placed in the laps of the lofty Himalayas meant that the valley experienced mild temperatures and sufficient rainfall, while the numerous streams and rivers running across the terrain ensured that flooding was a pariah. Sufficient rainfall and good drainage also resulted in good agricultural yield and hence further escalated economic growth. In all of this, the Bagmati river played a very crucial role. This river is the primary source of water as well as drainage for the entire valley and its importance is reflected in the naming of the settlements in Kathmandu as the Bagmati civilization.
However, with the advent of the 21st century and the wave of urbanisation that came along with it, the Kathmandu valley in its entirety has fallen victim in a very grave sense to the elements of overpopulation, environmental degradation as well as unplanned development. The Bagmati, which was once the lifeline to the valley today has been reduced to a mere stream that drains away sewage water from the valley. It is rather alarming to see the river in such a state, as it is an entity which is not only essential for the survival of the population which call Kathmandu as their home but it also has much greater cultural significance. For the people in Kathmandu, this river is the embodiment of the Devi, Ganga and this very river also flows through the ghats of Pashupatinath, the protector deity of the country. Regardless of its importance, several of its tributaries had dried off and its watershed areas encroached upon by human settlements that it was essential for the authorities to come up with a substantial plan for the way ahead. In this very regard, with the help of the Asian Development Bank, the Bagmati River Basin Improvement Project was formalised in 2012.[2]
Owing to the Bagmati river originating from multiple streams fed by rainwater, the project encompassed the construction of two dams upstream the Bagmati river on the fringes of the valley. The purpose of the construction of these megastructures is the storage of rainwater during the monsoons so as to release the same during the dry months, thus maintaining sufficient flow of freshwater in the Bagmati downstream. Out of the two dams which were to be constructed, the Dhap dam with a 24 metre high wall holding a reservoir of upto 861,000 cubic metres (227 million gallons) of water was completed in 2023 [3]. However, since then, the valley has completed two seasonal cycles and the effects of the construction of such large infrastructure are yet to be seen. Numerous engineers remain sceptical about the dam's success while environmentalists demand accountability on behalf of the government. Despite the limited success, if any of the dam at Dhap, the authorities are still planning to go ahead with the construction of a much larger 95-metre-tall concrete face rockfill dam [CFRD] at the Shivapuri-Nagarjun National Park called as the Nagmati Dam.
The construction of both the dams, specifically the after one comes with several and serious impacts to the environment as well as the valley of Kathmandu downstream. It has been observed that the government has acted arbitrarily at numerous steps to ensure that the project becomes a reality. One of the steps was to alter rules which prevented the construction of heavy infrastructure inside national parks with the help of an executive order. While some rules are being altered, others are being ignored. Nepal’s law provides for the plantation of 10 new trees for every tree that is cut, however in the current situation, there simply isn't enough land to do so. In addition to this, it can be observed that the changing weather patterns have been completely overlooked. With global warming, climatic conditions have become severe with monsoons either bringing excess rain or none at all, while unseasonal outbursts have become ever more frequent. This severely affects the viability of these structures as in the case of monsoon failure results in their objectives being unfulfilled, leading to an immense wastage of public resources, while on the other hand erratic and unprecedented rain resulting in any structural damage will cause unprecedented damage downstream.
Thus, while these projects are a step forward for the rehabilitation of the Bagmati, it is important to analyse the overall environmental impact that it is creating. In addition to this, it is also essential for the authorities to start tackling the problem from a more grassroots level, wherein the flow of untreated wastewater is checked and stopped from entering the Bagmati. Further, the creation of a green belt along the river banks will not only lead to the increase in the watershed area of the river but the green cover will provide a respite for all. While these plans are essential elements of the Bagmati rehabilitation project, the government has been ignoring them and concentrating on bigger elements of the same project for reasons unknown.
Citations
Arena Development Consult Pvt. Ltd. , Kodari Silk Road corridor of Nepal. Available at: https://www.unesco-iicas.org/uploads/fit-books/1668723336-book.pdf (Accessed: 30 August 2024).
Bagmati River Basin Improvement Project BRBIP. Available at: https://www.brbip.gov.np/ (Accessed: 30 August 2024).
Dhap dam: Bagmati Improvement Project,Dhap Dam | Bagmati Improvement Project. Available at: https://dhapdam.gov.np/dhap-dam/ (Accessed: 30 August 2024).
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