 |
Kathmandu Thursday July 26, 2001 Shrawan 11, 2058.
|
Valley population
The Census of 2001 conducted by the Central Bureau of
Statistics (CBS) has unexpectedly recorded a whopping jump in the population of Kathmandu
Valley. This is something that has to be taken seriously by the government even if it does
not have any immediate plans for the development of this valley. The population increase
has led to encroachment of public land, misuse of authority and illegal and unplanned
construction of buildings. This is the main reason why there is little open space left in
the capital city for public recreation, and why the problem of water scarcity has reached
crisis proportions. Children and the old have little space in which to play or stroll. The
negligence shown by Kathmandu metropolitan Corporation and some of the other municipal
authorities inside the valley in protecting public land is nothing short of scandalous.
The situation would not have assumed such alarming proportions had government officials,
at both local and central levels, taken timely and proper steps to prevent illegal
constructions or to implement rules with the intention of preventing encroachment of
public land.
According to the CBS, the valley population registered a
growth of 62 percent, a figure that should make all sections of society sit up and take
serious notice. The earlier census of 1991 gave Kathmandu Valley a population of only a
little over 622,780. The government then had permitted the construction of buildings in a
planned way. It had left spaces for public recreation and the widening of roads, and it
supplied more adequate water. The extension of Kathmandu city at that time was carried out
in an organized and planned manner, quite unlike today. Unfortunately, a decade later the
Valley population has increased by more than one million. Of this total, 70 percent reside
within the city, while the rest are scattered over various VDCs. The liberalization of
economic policy and centralization of power are other factors that have led to increase in
the population of Kathmandu. With the restoration of democracy, Kathmandu also attracted
people from the poverty ridden Indian states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. This apart,
insurgency in northeast India forced many people of Nepali origin to flee their homes and
head for Nepal.
The political party in power must acknowledge that it has
failed to work out a mechanism to prevent the encroachment of public land. Illegal
construction of houses in Kathmandu valley has become a major challenge for city planning
and development. The influx of people from neighbouring Indian states has turned things
from bad to worse. Stress on law alone will not be a solution to the present problem
unless local politicians and bureaucrats come up with further measures. The government
must henceforth plan the city and allow settlements accordingly. In the face of the
haphazard growth of Kathmandu city, more problems have been thrown up and with no credible
solution in sight.
Other Stories
|
