Kathmandu: The most polluted city of Asia
If you are in Kathmandu to celebrate your vacations and wish to have a holy dip in the sacred river Bagmati, than beware, you could be wrapped by any epidemic, as the river is not less than a sewage drain.
Kathmandu- Nepal’s most celebrated destination, which draws millions of international tourists, is now turning into a heap of garbage and the major river in the area has become a dumping place of trash.
Bidya Banmali Pradhan of the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) said:
Parks are being destroyed, and the Bagmati river is sacred but now smells like a sewer so nobody wants to take a holy dip. The once sleepy Kathmandu valley saw its population double between 1996 and 2004, and that the sole foreign-funded wastewater treatment plant was not working due to a lack of maintenance.
Environmentalists fear that if the current trend goes on with the same pace, it could be a major setback for impoverished Kathmandu’s economic future, particularly its key tourist industry.
A report published on the degradation of environment in Kathmandu shows that people residing on the riverbank dump harmful chemicals and wastewater in the river, as a result water of river is no longer safe for drinking and for other activities. Report has revealed that Kathmandu is the most polluted city among 20 cities of Asia. This apart, green space in the town is rapidly disappearing, as the construction work is on the rise over couple of years.
Moreover, people’s apathy about the degradation of environment is generating great fear for this ancient town.
Recognized as world heritage site by UNESCO, Kathmandu is wildly famous for its stunning vistas and centuries old architecture. There is a dire need to conserve its the olden charm and only awareness among the people can give desired results.
No doubt, country has regain it peace after a prolonged insurgency provoked by Maoists, but the issues pertaining to the environment needs to be put on the top of the agenda.
Via: Theage
Etiketler: health tourism, medical tourism, ministry of tourism, sabah tourism, sex tourism, spain tourism, Sustainable tourism, tourism guide, tourism industry, tourism information, tourism statistics, Travel, world tourism, world tourism organization
