I do travel a lot around Kathmandu, especially the ringroad side. I use this way mostly to go to my college and my work place. Few years back, I could see countable number of trees, very beautiful trees either side of the roads. Yellow, purple, blue flowers used to bloom. It was pleasure to eyes to view such a wonderful sunrise in the morning where beautiful trees are blooming.
Unfortunately, it didn’t last long. In the name of road extension, people pulled down plenty of trees. Few months back, they started pulling down good numbers of trees from Kalanki ringroad and beyond the way to Satdobato. Now, if you pass by the way from Kalanki to Satdobato you won’t see trees there. However, they have not started working on their purpose to extend roads. I know the fact that after some months, peoples will finish pulling down all the trees around the ringroad. But, it will take lots of time to maintain and extend the roads. Now, these roads are too much dusty in sunny day and too much muddy in rainy season.
Way to Balkhu, July 15, 2014
Way to Balkhu, July 15, 2014
The other fact of Kathmandu is that, it is day by day being overcrowded, polluted, and noisy. Lots of haphazard built up, many houses, vehicles and peoples. Due to this, haphazard urban sprawling is happening outside ringroad.
Kathmandu was already an unplanned city with no proper drainage, disposal area and open space. Wherever there is a small space, people build there. No agricultural land, open space, and trees in Kathmandu. Only 3 areas namely Ratnapark, Swoyambhu and Pashupati are the place where we can find some of trees.
In my opinion, city must be planned and should be managed in proper way. Taking into consideration of Park city, Garden city and City Beautiful approach, especially if we involve private/public partnerships, involving NGOs and private companies alike; if any area is developed in its inception period, the city will be more healthy, beautiful and livable. NGOs could enter in partnership with Kathmandu Metropolitan Council through maintenance and beautification contracts where civil society organization, in exchange of a fee, could take care and be responsible to maintain the given green areas. Instead of the Council doing everything but not being able to administer the spaces, partnerships with civil society or even private sector can really make the difference and change the urban landscape.
Could we have avoided chopping off the trees in ring road? Maybe not but at least for each killed tree, the government should have made a pledge to compensate the nature with at least 10 new trees. Maybe there even ways to save the trees and relocate them somewhere else. As citizen I feel guilty because I did not do anything to raise this issue. As committed citizen, I should maybe found a way to mobilize and get involved in a campaign to save the trees. I know I am quite busy with my own life but as citizen, I should have found a way or at least i should have given a try.
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