Problems
The Bagmati River has become a hotbed of garbage pollution
Tainted by rubbish and raw sewage dumped directly into the waterway, Nepal’s holiest river is also it's most polluted. High on a mountain in the Himalayas, pristine drops fall from the mouth of a tiger statue set beside a stream believed to form the headwaters of the Bagmati River, long revered as a power to purify souls. From there, it descends past green forests and merges with other waterways, irrigating fields of rice, vegetables, and other crops that are a source of livelihood for many Nepalis. But when the Bagmati reaches the valley of Kathmandu, the capital, its color changes from clear to brown and then to black, clogged with garbage, its contents undrinkable and unfit even to clean. During the dry season, an irresistible stench hangs near its shores. Polluted by garbage and untreated sewage dumped directly into the waterway, Nepal's holiest river has declined to the point that it is also the most polluted in the country today, dramatically changing the way the city of three million interacts with the Bagmati in daily, cultural and spiritual spheres.
Causes of pollution in the Bagmati River
The river, which wraps around the entire capital, clearly demonstrates the ecological disaster caused by the urban environment. The cremations in the Pashupatin district, the landfill in Teku, the central market in Balaju, and the incessant religious festivals in Chobar have turned the Bagmati into a garbage dump over several decades. The sacred river, which receives the remains after cremations, has also become a curse on the city. In the capital, the Bagmati flows past several sacred sites, including the Pashupatinath Temple, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1979. Residents of slums and neighborhoods on the banks of the polluted Bagmati are trying to make money by recycling waste or collecting scrap metal from the seabed. People continue to live literally on garbage - building houses, and raising children. This is due to the very low level of income: a house in a landfill does not require paying taxes. For a while, the government tried to demolish the slums in Tekou and move large families into normal housing, but the plans fell through due to a lack of money after the 2015 earthquake.
Bagmati water quality analysis
Recent environmental assessment studies of the Bagmati River Basin conducted in Nepal by scientists, specialists and experts have reviewed and analyzed issues related to the physical, biological, socioeconomic, and cultural aspects of the Bagmati River Basin environment - maps have been collected and studied, water quality studies and assessment, hydrological and meteorological assessment of surface flow from the Bagmati River Basin, the relationship between the river sediments and races have been reviewed and evaluated. The results of all these studies showed that the water in the Bagmati River in the Kathmandu Valley region is of extremely poor quality, both chemically and bacteriologically, and unsuitable for plants and animals during the dry season. Only during the rainy season (June to September), water quality improves due to the increased assimilative capacity of the river.
Gallery
3
Timelines
2022
August 17
Environmentalists have developed a project to restore water conditions in the Bagmati River. Dhap Dam is part of a $36 million government program to improve the Bagmati River basin. The goal of the program is to restore the flow of water in the river and implement an integrated approach to water management with the participation of basin residents. Under the program, officials intend to revive the springs that feed the Bagmati, reduce pollution with a new wastewater treatment plant, collect rainwater, beautify riparian areas of the city and implement an early flood warning system.
2019
August 15
The government undertook development efforts to improve water safety in the basin. Thus, the government ensures resource management and environmental safety. To develop an appropriate legal and institutional framework for implementing the IWRM approach, the Bagmati River Basin Improvement Project (BRBIP) should help develop a model replicable in other basin areas of the country.
2018
December 01
Nepal River Conservation Trust, a non-profit organization founded by a group of river advocates, reported that the water in the Bagmati (between 15 and 160 km) is unfit for drinking and irrigation, does not meet the requirements for aquatic life, and exceeds the limits for effluent discharge. Nepal's water supply manual states that water for drinking, irrigation, and recreation should have a pH between 6.5 and 8.5, but many parts of the river have a pH above 9, according to the Bagmati expedition report. The water also contained high concentrations of ammonia, nitrates, total dissolved solids, phosphates, iron, arsenic, mercury, etc., making it uninhabitable and environmentally dead.
2016
April 01
The River Protection NGO, headed by former chief secretary Lila Mani Pudyal, regularly organizes events to clean the river of trash and plastic waste. In 150 weeks, more than 3,000 tons of trash, especially plastic bags, have been removed from the river, thanks to a volunteer campaign. A recent report published by the Biosphere Association, an organization that promotes local conservation, education, and sustainability initiatives, shows that much more needs to be done to save the river. As part of the study, scientists studied a 200-kilometer stretch of the river inside Nepal (from its source in Sundarijal to where it leaves Nepal near Brahmapuri village in Rautahat). The report says that water quality (its drinkability) deteriorates rapidly when it reaches urban areas. When the river reaches a point 25 km south of its source, it becomes unfit for drinking, the report said.
2013
August 09
The Bagmati Cleaning Mega Campaign was launched in May 2013, bringing together the government, NGOs, and ordinary citizens to clean the sacred Bagmati River. Members of the Nepal Army and Police, employees of various organizations, students, and active citizens have been cleaning the river and its banks every weekend for 200 weeks. During this time, more than 8,000 metric tons of garbage have been collected and removed. In addition to trash collection, efforts are also being made to improve and divert sewage waste, a source of organic contamination, away from the river. According to Bagmati River Restoration Blog, water analyses (BOD) taken over the past three months show that in the Gokarna area, where the Bagmati leaves Shivapuri National Park and moves towards settlements, pollution (BOD) levels have dropped from 14 to 4.3 mg/L; and in the Minbhavan area, which is within city limits, from 175 to 80 mg/L. The results show that the efforts to clean up the river are paying off, but there is still much work to be done to bring the water quality in Bagmati back to normal.