One for the road : Road expansion in Kathmandu (Published on 2013-08-01 MyRepublica)

	Unmanaged roads are the most problematic parts of urban life in Nepal. Roads should be for all those who need it. But in Nepal, we are forced to ask the question: “For whom are these roads? Are they only for vehicles and bike drivers or also for pedestrians, walkers, strollers, cyclists, and physically disabled?” A pedestrian on the roads of Kathmandu is never safe. Dirt enters your lungs and chokes your breath, mud clings to your body, you can fall over rotting sewage and into open manholes. Passing vehicles can spray your body with open drainage. People say driving in Nepal is an act of bravery. I don’t know because I have never driven in Nepal, but I do know what valour you need to walk on these roads.
	There are many important things to keep in mind when you are a pedestrian in Kathmandu. Motorbikes have the privilege to ride in any part of the city at their ease. They can drive on footpaths, on wrong tracks, and can overtake at any place. If you are new to the city, it is vital for you to know that they are free to dash, overrun, or injure you. The second important stakeholders of footpaths are vendors who occupy half of it with their wares spread out on tarpaulins. The pedestrian comes only after these two in the hierarchy of road users. Road expansion in Kathmandu was the bold PM Dr Baburam Bhattarai’s ambitious project. When he became head of the government, he had put forth his humbug claim of acquiring a double digit growth in the economy by leaps and bounds, phrases he must have read in some book. But it never happened. Perplexed by his failed experiments, he flung himself wholeheartedly into a road demolishing project, which became his first and last semi-success. It was a success because most roads of the city were very narrow, facing the everyday problem of traffic jams. He was the first politician with the courage to tackle this problem. But it was only a semi-success because though there was large scale destruction, only a small fraction of the target was reconstructed. In the three municipalities of the valley, 200 km of road was demolished for widening, but as of today, only 45 km is gravelled and 22 km black-topped. The unmanaged debris on these roads has made commuters’ life hell. It raises the risk of Acute Respiratory Infection (ARI) which is a serious lung problem for all commuters, especially for infants who use these roads. A recent research report of the Ministry of Health shows that the risk of ARI has escalated in Kathmandu in the past one year. Dust particles were found 2 to 38 times higher in the streets of Kathmandu than the level considered safe by World Health Organization. In newly constructed cities of our neighboring countries like India and Pakistan, roads are built to accommodate not just vehicle but all types of commuters. Small trees and shrubs are integral parts of such roads, as the greenery not only increases the aesthetic beauty but also generates oxygen, controls air pollution. In Kathmandu, people remember the old days when the 13 km long Chinese Road, part of Arniko Highway ,was extended from Maitighar to Suryabinayak. It was spotted with green trees which had beautiful flowers, and their shades offered protection to travellers waiting for buses. This road is now just a story, as the widening project has destroyed all trees. Now there is no footpath, and the electricity poles and cable wires clutter the road. All trees and shrubs of the sideways are cut down, without planning for any more plantation. The same destruction of the greenery is to happen in the 27 km Ring Road, slated to grow to ten lanes from the current four. One NGO has estimated that about 1,239 trees will be chopped in the Koteswor to Kalanki stretch of the road. Around 4,000 trees will be chopped in the entire Ring Road. Environmentalists are concerned about this destruction. However, wider roads are inevitable for Kathmandu valley. So expansion and construction of the currently insufficient roads must go on, but without risking the environment. There is always a trade-off between development and environment, but sustainable development is that which optimizes environment protection. The four-lane Chinese Road constructed in 1970 was considered more than enough, but it became the most congested in thirty years. Constantly widening roads is not a sustainable solution. Alternative commuting modes like underground and overhead roads and convenient public transportation should be planned. Harmonizing modernization and nature is the new definition of civilization. Pedestrian friendly eco cities are now considered a breakthrough in development. Due to pressure from environmental groups, European nations have achieved a beautiful harmonization of development and nature, which is also reflected in their development indices. Their roads are not only for the vehicles but equally, or more, for pedestrians, cycle peddlers, and handicapped people. In 2010, Stockholm was awarded the ‘Green Capitol of Europe’, which is a symbol of the most liveable city in terms of environment. This year Nantes of western France got this recognition. According to the award committee, a good city should have ‘sustainable transport policy that includes friendly roads for public transport, bicycles with minimized car transports, and provide pedestrians with optimal conditions’. Kathmandu was ranked among the world’s 20 most polluted cities in 2010. We need integrated development policies in the development of our city and its transportation system. Otherwise, after a few years we will again go through the same rigmarole of construction.