Nepal govt says will not remove boulders at Chobhar hill to drain out water from Kathmandu
Kathmandu, Jul 3 (PTI): The Nepal government on Thursday said that it has no plans to remove boulders from the historical Chobhar Galchhi or gorge, to drain out water from Kathmandu Valley keeping in mind the possible inundation during the upcoming monsoon.
In a statement, the Ministry of Urban Development said that the rocks in Chobhar Galchhi will not be removed.
The ministry said that the Galchhi rocks, which are at the exit point, will not be dug up and cleared. However, the garbage piled up there over time will be removed.
Locals had raised objections after one government body disclosed plans to mobilise the army to remove boulders from the area to widen the mouth of the gorge ahead of the monsoon.
“Waste management will be carried out as the problem of flooding around Chobhar Galchhi recurs during incessant rains,” Urban Development Ministry spokesperson Narayan Prasad Mainali said. “There were no plans to remove the historic rocks,” he added.
"Our main objective is to prepare an action plan based on a technical study to remove the waste that has been dumped in the past in the area around Galchhi, identify and prevent the areas prone to landslides and find long-term solutions," he said.
Chobhar Galchhi is a major drainage point in the valley where the water flowing through the open drains across the valley accumulates and the risk of inundation in various areas of Kathmandu increases as the water discharge is blocked during the monsoon.
There are two legends from Hindu and Buddhist mythology regarding the cutting of the Chobhar hill and making human settlement possible in Kathmandu.
As per Hindu mythology, Kathmandu was a huge lake more than 25,000 years ago and thousands of years ago Lord Krishna came from India and cut the hill at Chobhar to drain out the water and facilitated human settlement in the valley.
There is another legend linked to Buddhist mythology, which said that Bodhisatwo Manjushree came from China thousands of years ago and with his magical powers, he cut the Chobhar hill and helped human settlement.
Spokesman of the Ministry of Urban Development Mainali has stated that under the long-term management of this area, waste management will be carried out to reduce flooding while preserving the original form of Chobhar Galchhi, which has religious, cultural and historical significance.
Chobhar Galchhi lies some seven kilometres south of Kathmandu Metropolitan City and it is the main outlet to drain the water accumulated from different rivers of Kathmandu, including Bagmati and Bishnumati.
Last year, Nepal witnessed heavy rain in which 250 people, including over 50 in Kathmandu, were killed due to landslides and floods.
The Meteorological Department has issued a warning asking people to remain alert as heavy rain and thunderstorms are likely in the monsoon.
There has been a debate in different sections of society in Kathmandu whether to remove the boulders from Chobhar Galchhi or not.
Locals and representatives of the local body have warned the authorities not to remove the boulders at the historically significant site as it might have devastating effects in the surrounding hills. PTI SBP GSP GSP
(This story is published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. No editing has been done in the headline or the body by ABP Live.)
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