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A requiem for the Bagmati
Aditya Batra's photo essay on how the Bagmati loses its pristine looks as it winds from the Shivpuri hills and through Kathmandu valley

A requiem for the Bagmati

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

A requiem for the Bagmati

The banks of the Bagmati and its tributaries are heavily encroached by squatter settlements, many of which enjoy political patronage, adding to the land use chaos and haphazard, unplanned urban growth. A 1997 study commissioned by Lumanti, an NGO working on the housing rights of the urban poor in Nepal, found 40 settlements comprising 12,726 people in 2,735 households in Kathmandu area alone (up from 17 in 1985). These settlements are very prone to periodical floods and exposed to extreme water pollution.

A requiem for the Bagmati

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

A requiem for the Bagmati

Megh Ale, a professional river guide, coordinates the Bagmati River Festival, organized each August by ‘Friends of the Bagmati’, that was launched on the occasion of the visit of Prince Philip to Kathmandu in 2000.

A requiem for the Bagmati

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

A requiem for the Bagmati

In Kathmandu and the valley’s seven other municipalities, the Bagmati is joined by its major tributaries—Bishnumati, Hanumante, Dhobikhola and Tukucha. Sewage from squatter settlements and much of the valley’s 600 tonnes of unsegregated solid waste is dumped into the rivers’ waters, turning these rivers into little more than sewage canals Photographs by: Aditya Batra Read also: Darkling waters

A requiem for the Bagmati

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.

A requiem for the Bagmati

The Bagmati is capricious, and frequently changes course as it winds its way through the Kathmandu valley. Increased urbanization has led to many legal tangles because people who lose their lands to the Bagmati encroach government-owned lands along the river, while the more opportunistic ones grab the newly created lands on the dried river bed Photographs by: Aditya Batra Read also: Darkling waters

A requiem for the Bagmati

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

A requiem for the Bagmati

The cremation ghats in the Pashupatinath temple complex Photographs by: Aditya Batra Read also: Darkling waters
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