Maladies Of Urban Growth In Kathmandu Valley
Regulatory Framework Essential

By Shanker K.C.

KATHMANDU Valley is undergoing rapid transformation in its built-up environment as the valley is experiencing unprecedented urban growth in recent years. The city skyline is gradually turning into concrete jungle encroaching on traditional green paddy fields and limited open space. Within the core city area there is almost no green and open space left. As a result, city core area has become suffocating and extremely polluted. There are virtually no green parks and public sport grounds for refreshment and recreation in the inner city area.

There is natural obstacle to continued outward expansion of the Kathmandu Valley. The bowl shaped Valley, because of its mountainous surroundings, cannot accommodate ever-growing expansion. The Valley in the past developed through uncontrolled and unregulated process and continues to do so. There are no physical planning frameworks to guide the city development. And even if there has been any, it has either become refundant or was never implemented and enforced.

As a result of unplanned informal growth, infrastructure and transportation network have become seriously inadequate. Haphazard growth has constrained further development of instructures incurring huge costs to national and municipal exchequer. There is no comprehensive sewerage network for the whole of the city Rudimentary and fragmented sewerage network existing in some part of the city is very inadequate and sewage is dumped untreated in the river system further accentuating the problem of environmental problems. Solid waste management has become big headache to policy makers and city managers.

In the recent years vehicles ownership has increased dramatically and traffic congestion has also become serious problem. Public transport system, which is mainly in the form of dilapidated buses, minibuses and three wheelers, is severely overloaded and competes for the same limited road with private vehicles. Atmospheric pollution because of vehicular and industrial emissions has reached unprecedented high level. The bowl shape of the Valley has further compounded the existing problem of environmental pollution.

We have become so obsessed with commercial value of the land that the very agencies, which are entrusted to safeguard greenery and open space, are encouraging construction boom and exploiting limited land space for commercial purposes. Recent example is construction of commercial complex by Public Park and Town Hall Management Committee in the old bus park area of central Kathmandu Central government agencies, police, army, and public educational institutions and even the municipalities of valley are rushing to exploit the limited open space owned by them for commercial purposes and constructing commercial complexes. The "shutter culture" has threatened the greenery; open space as well as ancient cultural heritages of the Valley.

The term "urban planning" nowadays has wider connotation and is concerned with the economic, social and political aspects of the urban development. However, physical aspects of the urban planning that are designed for growth and management of physical environment is also very critical to healthy urban development. A well-planned and beautiful city can act as an economic growth centre and also greatly contributes to overall social and economic development. No government or municipal authorities can leave the urban development to laissez-faires approach.

This laissez-faire approach to urban development had led to a syndrome of public squalor and private affluence. Our public infrastructures are dilapidated where as the personal mansions are sprouting everywhere in the city landscape. There is a serious lack of community open space and playgrounds for majority of children and youth. Where as there are private sport complexes, swimming pools and clubs for those who can afford. As a result social polarization has also increased.

The city is gradually becoming so ugly that its potential as tourist destination is loosing ground and our cultural heritage is being threatened and becoming overshadowed under the concrete jungle. This very concretisation for commercialisation threatens healthy economic development of the Valley.

To manage this haphazard growth, private rights to develop and use land should be regulated in the public interests. The land uses should be separated, particularly industrial and residential uses. Urban sprawl over the surrounding countryside should at least be restricted by the use of green belts or agricultural belts to preserve natural environment.

Municipalities in collaboration with the municipal authorities can acquire many diapidated structures like the Office of Controller of Examinations of T.U. in Jamal or army barracks in core area of the city owned by public institution and use them for constructing green park or sport facilities for general public. Similarly, as many ministries are now being relocated in Singhdurbar premises, the old palaces like Keshar Mahal, Bag Durbar, Harihar Bhawan, Shree Mahal can be converted into public museum or public library or some public recreational centres.

Our obsession with the commercialisation of limited land space should be stopped. Public institutions should be discouraged to construct commercial as well as other buildings in the inner city core area. Furthermore, municipalities should be aware of the importance of green and open space as this contributes to the beautification of the city. Beautiful and clean city is valuable asset in itself for the healthy economic and social development of the city as well as the development of healthy and happy citizens.

Traditional approach like master planning may not appropriate for the rapidly growing city like Kathmandu. However, some short of regulatory framework to guide the urban development has become imperative. The innovative and incremental approach of structural planning and action planning can be applied effectively for guiding development and this also does not need huge cost. Laissez-faire approach to urban development has resulted in the wastage of vast resources, which can have negative impacts on healthy economic development of the city.

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