As it enters the Kathmandu valley, the Bagmati offers a lifeline to paddy farmers. In this upper stretch, it is a ‘clean’ river, despite carting a high silt load. The river’s waters are tapped to quench Kathmandu’s thirst, and small private water bottling plants, like the one here, are coming up along its course

Photographs by: Aditya Batra

Read also: Darkling waters

The tunnel head of the controversial Melamchi Water Supply project. Launched three decades back, the ADB-sponsored $464 million project will divert 170 mld of water from snow-fed Melamchi river in Helambu to Sundarijal through a 26 km-long tunnel. A consortium of China Railways and China Engineering Corporation is constructing the headworks and diversion tunnel. The project is grossly delayed and the project’s lending conditions has raised the hackles of many water NGOs over the privatization of water supply and sanitation in the Kathmandu valley and the hikes in tariffs.

A few years back, this was agricultural land; today it is the outskirts of Kathmandu city. The population of Kathmandu valley is growing at 4.5 per cent per annum, but the city’s outskirts are growing at close to 12 per cent every year, as new settlers are drawn there by the cheaper price of land

Photographs by: Aditya Batra

Read also: Darkling waters

Entrance to the Pashupatinath temple

Photographs by: Aditya Batra

Read also: Darkling waters

Some decentralised treatment systems have been installed for treating waste in the rural stretches of the river, a little before it enters Kathmandu city. One such system is in Gokarna, named after the famous Shiva temple seen in the background. Many such DEWATS systems seen throughout the river's upper stretches lie in a state of disuse, or are poorly maintained

Photographs by: Aditya Batra

Read also: Darkling waters

Of the five sewage treatment plants (STPs) in the valley, the ‘state of art’ 16.4 mld Guheshwori STP is the only one that functions, though partially. The other STPS at Dhobighat, Sallaghari, Hanumante and Kadu, have been abandoned, their oxidation ponds now converted to playfields where children play football. In August, the Guheshwori plant was in disuse, because of mechanical breakdowns and frequent power cuts.

Over the decades, many groups have championed the Bagmati’s cause. Chief among them is Hutaram Baidya. Others have tried to jostle the administration by resorting to sentiment. In 1997, a group of 50 people from different professions and walks of life signed a declaration on the river’s ghats, that their cremated remains not be immersed in the Bagmati

Photographs by: Aditya Batra

In August, the grand finale attracted a motley crowd to the festival. There were Miss Nepal contestants, Boy Scouts of Nepal; representatives from the Art of Living foundation of India, Lamas from local monasteries; Eco Clubs, area guthis or self help groups; and river guides, among others. The evening ended with a rock show with the popular fusion band Kutumba and Nepal’s first rockstar, Robin 'N' Looza as the star performers

Photographs by: Aditya Batra

The vast sums of money spent, the various engineering interventions, the many city master plans and the instituting of various river commissions have had little or no impact on improving the Bagmati and its tributaries in Kathmandu valley. The valley remains parched; its rivers polluted beyond belief. But community-level efforts, such as initiatives to refurbish hitis, the stone water spouts once the lifeline for drinking water for the valley residents, may offer some hope. The hitis in Patan, a historic district in Kathmandu, offers a lifeline to area residents