Not So Safa After All

Perhaps few countries in the world have a Capital as beautiful and unique as Kathmandu. The City has its own charm which is hard to find in  any other place. Kathmandu has been blessed naturally and it also has man made master pieces that come from ancient times. In fact it is a matter of pride for all Nepalese that the whole of Kathmandu Valley has been declared as a UNESCO International Heritage Site. Thousands of Nepalese and also foreigners come to Kathmandu every year to view the delights offered by the City. However it is a sad fact that in recent years, Kathmandu has started to gain notoriety along with its fame. With a growing population and also rapid urbanisation, Kathmandu has seen new problems like pollution and garbage. Prime Minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai himself said at a meeting in the Ministry of Local Development last week that he felt ashamed to see foreigners moving around with masks over their face. He also admonished the people of Kathmandu by saying that they too should feel ashamed about the garbage that is littered all over the City. This is indeed true, as the people of this City themselves are to blame for all these man-made problems.

Let us look at the pollution problem first. How has it come about? First it were the planners who never showed any vision in framing regulations for this beautiful Valley which needed delicate handling. The blame goes to the policy makers during the Panchayat period, who had the opportunity to work when these problems had never cropped up and when they had no hindrances in any form. But they never planned with the future and the wellbeing of the people in mind. More sadly, the leaders who came after the re-ushering in of democracy in the country, performed no better. In fact it can be said they did worse by allowing the import of more vehicles like the Vikram tempos. Now finally through the pressure of the people themselves, these highly polluting three wheelers are going to be driven off the roads. But still no one has any idea as to what sort of public transportation can be brought in for the thousands of middle class commuters, most of whom are office goers. According to experts, the much touted Safa tempos (Safa means clean in Nepali) run by batteries are no better as far as being environmentally friendly is concerned. It is said the batteries of the Safa tempos are hard to dispose off and they contain such a chemical like acid, which can make huge areas of land barren. Some thought has to be given before bringing in this alternative, as we just can’t afford to jump from the frying into the fire.