Government to Develop Bagmati Riverbanks into Green Open Spaces

Kathmandu. The government has decided to develop the areas cleared of informal settlements along the Bagmati and its tributaries into green open spaces (parks).

The process of preparing the necessary design and concept for the construction of parks and green areas in the vacant spaces of informal settlements cleared from the riverbanks of the Kathmandu Valley has moved forward, said Navraj Pyakurel, spokesperson and joint secretary of the Ministry of Urban Development.

According to him, the 'Empowered Bagmati Civilization Integrated Development Committee' is working on what kind of structures to build in the cleared areas.

Spokesperson Pyakurel informed that the Bagmati Integrated Development Committee itself will carry out the work of construction and beautification in the cleared areas. 'The design and concept of what structures to build in those areas are being prepared by the friends of the Bagmati civilization,' he said, 'The Bagmati civilization itself has been given the responsibility to work in that area.'

He stated that a budget has been proposed in the current fiscal year for infrastructure construction in the vacant spaces along the riverbanks.

The government had started the campaign to clear informal settlements in the Kathmandu Valley from April 10. Fifteen days later, the Supreme Court issued an interim order not to clear the informal settlements. Settlements along the banks of rivers including Bagmati and Manohara had already been removed.

Cleaning Work Completed, Infrastructure Construction to Begin

Similarly, a campaign has been launched to make the banks of rivers including Bagmati and Manohara open and organized. The work of clearing the debris accumulated in the cleared spaces has been completed. Now, work is underway to advance the construction of parks, green areas, and expansion of river flow areas.

According to the committee's project director Machakaji Maharjan, this work has been carried out in line with the plan to remove encroachments from the riverbanks, beautify them, and protect the environment. The project stated that open parks useful for the general public will be constructed in the areas where settlements were cleared, without building any new large or permanent physical structures.

The committee has proposed a total of 3 billion rupees in the budget for the upcoming fiscal year for the integrated development and improvement of the main river corridors of the valley, including Bagmati, Bishnumati, and Manohara. This budget is currently in various stages of government annual budget approval.

Project Director Maharjan clarified that the main priorities will be the construction of corridor roads, drainage management, and river control in the areas of the riverbanks from which encroachments have been removed. In some places, the corridor road is incomplete, and the river flow area is narrow, leading to a high risk of floods during the monsoon. To address this problem in the long term, the width of the river will be increased, and drainage will be laid in necessary places.

'We have successfully completed the first phase of work, which is to remove river silt and clean the flow area (dredging),' Maharjan said, 'Now, preparations are underway to level the area by bringing suitable soil from outside (layering) and planting various species of saplings for afforestation.' The project is confident that this work will help make the rivers in the valley clean and environmentally friendly.

Budget Proposal of 3 Billion

The committee has proposed a total of 3 billion rupees in the budget for the upcoming fiscal year for the integrated development and improvement of the main river corridors of the valley, including Bagmati, Bishnumati, and Manohara. This budget is currently in various stages of government annual budget approval.

The project has mentioned that the creative cooperation of the local community and stakeholders is necessary for the committee's campaign to remove encroachments from the riverbanks and restore the natural beauty and historical environment of the Kathmandu Valley.

Maharjan said, 'We have already proposed the budget for the next year, and it is currently in the discussion and approval process. After the budget is passed, we will complete tasks ranging from building parks to various corridor constructions with the allocated funds. We have requested 3 billion, but it remains to be seen how much will be approved in the end. As soon as the budget is approved, we will not stop the work; we will prioritize and proceed based on the amount received.'

According to Project Director Maharjan, infrastructure work in the areas where informal settlements were removed will gain momentum as soon as the budget is passed and disbursed. The proposed budget will be utilized for multi-year plans including paving roads along the riverbanks, constructing river protection walls, and promoting greenery.

Data of 2,608 Informal Settlement Families and Preparation for Resettlement

The committee has also put forward a concrete plan for the proper management of genuine informal settlers displaced from the riverbanks. Currently, the displaced people are being kept safely in temporary 'holding shelters', but they will not be kept there permanently. The committee has decided on a program to identify genuine informal settlers, distribute relief amounts to them, and resettle them in alternative locations.

So far, a total of 2,608 informal settlement families have registered their details. Additional budget has been requested from the government to provide relief amounts to these registered families. 'As soon as we receive the budget, we will proceed with the process of distributing relief and resettling the registered and genuinely verified informal settlement families,' Maharjan clarified.

The project has mentioned that the creative cooperation of the local community and stakeholders is necessary for the committee's campaign to remove encroachments from the riverbanks and restore the natural beauty and historical environment of the Kathmandu Valley.