The concrete jungle that is modern-day Kathmandu continues its unplanned sprawl,

on all four sides. From the hills of Budhanilkantha to the elevated plain of Bh
aisepati, the green spaces are being fast gobbled up by unsightly constructions.
At the current rate, even the little green that is left in the hills surroundin
g Kathmandu might soon disappear. The urbanization of Kathmandu is truly a study
in breathtaking lack of imagination in town planning. Inside the valley proper,
there is no open space to speak ofno place for children to play, no park for the
elderly to stroll during the evening. To compound the misery, even the handful
of roadside trees, the last green holdouts, have been felled. With growing popul
ation come added vehicles, and since most vehicle owners take the easy option of
buying no-pollution stickers, their exhaust can be an all-out assault on lungs. T
his Kathmandu, unsurprisingly, has the second worst air quality in the world (af
ter Dhaka). The glitches are a legion. Basic necessities like drinking water and
reliable electricity are in short supply. In many places the roads have been du
g up; electricity and phone wires dangle precariously by the side. Every way you
look at it, Kathmandu is an urban nightmare. Contrast this with the Indian capi
tal.
New Delhi is no heaven. The quality of its air is not much better than Kathmandu
; the traffic, often, as bad. And this time of the year, it is nigh impossible t
o go out during the day. The temperature inches towards 50 degree Celsius and th
e hot air can be suffocating. But one of the most wonderful aspects about Delhian
d not just the city center designed by the Britishare its public parks. There is
one in every locality. In early mornings and late evenings, they are brought to
life with shrieks of frolicking children. The elderly make their prescribed roun
ds as birds chirp in the background and housewives sit on the benches exchanging
the latest TV gossip. These parks with trees and shrubs and grass, in a way, pr
ovide some method to the madness of urban Delhi. Kathmandu residents have no suc
h respite. But alarmingly, even other major urban hubs in Nepal are starting to
go its way.
Places like Birtamod, Damak and Butwal on the east-west highway are also urbaniz
ing, with zero planning. There are plenty of dance bars and restaurants sproutin
g up, but establishments like public libraries and playgroundsor reliable drinkin
g water and sewerage systems for that matterthat add vitality to urban life are c
onspicuously absent. In their quest to modernize, even the rudiments of sustaina
ble urban development have been compromised. It is a shame that Kathmandu has to
resort to a hasty beautification project to make itself ready for the upcoming SA
ARC Summit in November. If only Kathmandus deep cracks could be papered over so e
asily! If urgent steps are not taken to better manage our burgeoning towns, they
too could soon become hotbeds of crimes and lifestyle diseases, a fate Kathmand
u is doomed for. Others need not go the same way.
The concrete jungle that is modern-day Kathmandu continues its unplanned sprawl,
on all four sides. From the hills of Budhanilkantha to the elevated plain of Bh
aisepati, the green spaces are being fast gobbled up by unsightly constructions.
At the current rate, even the little green that is left in the hills surroundin
g Kathmandu might soon disappear. The urbanization of Kathmandu is truly a study
in breathtaking lack of imagination in town planning. Inside the valley proper,
there is no open space to speak ofno place for children to play, no park for the
elderly to stroll during the evening. To compound the misery, even the handful
of roadside trees, the last green holdouts, have been felled. With growing popul
ation come added vehicles, and since most vehicle owners take the easy option of
buying no-pollution stickers, their exhaust can be an all-out assault on lungs. T
his Kathmandu, unsurprisingly, has the second worst air quality in the world (af
ter Dhaka). The glitches are a legion. Basic necessities like drinking water and
reliable electricity are in short supply. In many places the roads have been du
g up; electricity and phone wires dangle precariously by the side. Every way you
look at it, Kathmandu is an urban nightmare. Contrast this with the Indian capi
tal.
New Delhi is no heaven. The quality of its air is not much better than Kathmandu
; the traffic, often, as bad. And this time of the year, it is nigh impossible t
o go out during the day. The temperature inches towards 50 degree Celsius and th
e hot air can be suffocating. But one of the most wonderful aspects about Delhian
d not just the city center designed by the Britishare its public parks. There is
one in every locality. In early mornings and late evenings, they are brought to
life with shrieks of frolicking children. The elderly make their prescribed roun
ds as birds chirp in the background and housewives sit on the benches exchanging
the latest TV gossip. These parks with trees and shrubs and grass, in a way, pr
ovide some method to the madness of urban Delhi. Kathmandu residents have no suc
h respite. But alarmingly, even other major urban hubs in Nepal are starting to
go its way.
Places like Birtamod, Damak and Butwal on the east-west highway are also urbaniz
ing, with zero planning. There are plenty of dance bars and restaurants sproutin
g up, but establishments like public libraries and playgroundsor reliable drinkin
g water and sewerage systems for that matterthat add vitality to urban life are c
onspicuously absent. In their quest to modernize, even the rudiments of sustaina
ble urban development have been compromised. It is a shame that Kathmandu has to
resort to a hasty beautification project to make itself ready for the upcoming SA
ARC Summit in November. If only Kathmandus deep cracks could be papered over so e
asily! If urgent steps are not taken to better manage our burgeoning towns, they
too could soon become hotbeds of crimes and lifestyle diseases, a fate Kathmand
u is doomed for. Others need not go the same way.