Added At: 2011-02-05 11:27 PM
Last Updated At: 2011-02-05 11:27 PM
HIMALAYAN NEWS SERVICE
KATHMANDU: Stone spouts are fast disappearing from the Valley due to absence of conservation efforts and rapid urbanisation.
According to a study, there were 165 stone spouts in Kathmandu, 61 in Lalitpur, 87 in Bhaktapur, 65 in Madhyapur Thimi and 11 in Kirtipur municipalities. Among them, 33 spouts in Kathmandu, seven in Lalitpur, three in Madhyapur Thimi and one each in Bhaktapur and Kirtipur have already disappeared.
Of the total stone spouts, 34 in Kathmandu, 18 in Bhaktapur, nine in Madhyapur, and seven in Lalitpur are under threat while 35 in Bhaktapur, 6 in Madhyapur Thimi and two in Kathmandu have been brought under the city supply line.
“Only 96 spouts in Kathmandu, 47 each in Lalitpur and Madhyapur, 33 in Bhaktapur and 10 in Kirtipur municipalities are working with natural water sources,” said Indra Man Singh Suwal, coordinator of the nine-member action panel on water spouts. “However, the water flow in these spouts is decreasing every year with depletion of ground water due to urbanisation,” he said.
Suwal, who is also chief of the Building and Heritage Division at Kathmandu Metropolitan City, said most of them are older than 100 years and many were made during Lichchhavi and Malla periods, which date back to ancient Nepal.
The government issued a 12-point declaration on stone spouts conservation in June 2007 and a nine-member committee was formed in September 2010. The government has recognised them as historical monuments.
“However, nothing has been done by way of conservation,” said Chunna Bajracharya, professor at the Department of Culture, Tribhuvan University. “There is no clarity on the status of stone spouts, which have either been captured by individuals or encroached by constructions. The municipalities are destroying the heritage in the name of conservation. Women should be involved in conservation policy implementation as they are the real users of stone spouts,” she added.
The declaration includes identifying the sources of stone spouts, formulation of conservation policies, details and mapping of spouts, declaring them national heritage, management of water sources, allocation of budget, carrying out research, making laws to check the use of ground water and formulating sound policies.
Municipal authorities revealed that the stone spouts were encroached and damaged, causing pollution of natural water. Ordinary people blame the government for not doing enough to preserve depleting ground water and approving building sites without studying historical monuments. Though the Historical Monuments Conservation Act was formed two decades ago, there is no law on the conservation of stone spouts.
“Due to lack of law, the declaration was not implemented,” said Saubhagya Pradhananga, archaeological officer at the Department of Archaeology.
“Slowly, we are moving ahead in this case,” said Pradhananga, who is a member of the action committee. He said sincere implementation of the declaration was necessary.
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