Chained to Kathmandu
As politicians, planners and administrators continue their ostrich-like response to the Valley\´s ills and woes, one might well ask where all this "development" is leading. As we bury our heads in Kathmandu\´s filth, what does the future hold? Will the urban sprawl fill the entire Valley floor within thedecade and start creeping up the flanks of Chandragiri.Shivapuri and Phulchoki? Will "Greater Kathmandu", which today encompasses Patan andKathmandu towns, extend eastward across miles of rice paddies and annex Bhaktapur as well?
The Kathmandu environment will have to get much, much worse than it is today before its limits to growth are reached for reasons of politics and economics. The Valley remains "Nepal" to a significant portion of the country\´s population. It is the country\´s power center, cultural hub and "economic engine", as a recent report described it. Practically every national-level activity is conducted from the Valley. No government or business can afford to neglect it. Come what may, Kathmandu\´s grip over the country\´s economy and its influence over the decisions of national import are likely to remain paramount.