Farm land in the Kathmandu Valley is constantly decreasing due to rapid urbanisation. Although urbanisation in itself may not be negative, the way it is taking place in the Kathmandu Valley cannot be taken as a positive trend. The urbanisation here has been haphazard without any planning and services. The land is being fragmented into small plots by the so-called land developers and builders. As a result, the Kathmandu Valley has turned into a concrete jungle without the necessary services like roads, water supply and drainage system. The city is, thus, becoming unmanageable, which has caused health and environmental hazards. The unplanned urbanisation has also had a negative impact on the land use pattern as well.

The land of the Kathmandu Valley is very fertile and it is being covered by buildings and houses. According to experts, the land of the Kathmandu Valley has double the agricultural productivity compared to land in other parts of the country. As Nepal is already facing serious food insecurity, productive land like the one in the Kathmandu Valley must be preserved for farming purposes. In view of this situation, the government now needs to come up with a land use policy so that the remaining productive land can be saved for agriculture whereas less fertile land can be used for construction and other purposes. In the absence of a proper land use policy, the housing companies and land-plotters are taking undue advantage. As a result, the face of Kathmandu is changing for the worse. Although time is running short, more damage can be checked if urgent measures are adopted to stop the haphazard urbanisation. If timely steps are taken, the beauty of Kathmandu can still be maintained. For this, a scientific land use policy needs to be announced and implemented strictly.

The land must be classified into different categories, and permission for housing development or building houses should be given only on areas where the land is less productive. This is necessary not only to maintain the beauty of the capital but also to manage the city properly and provide services to the people. Although the problem is more acute in Kathmandu, other urban centres of the country are also facing a similar problem. Thus, a land use policy should be implemented nationwide, which would not only help manage the urban centres properly but also contribute to food security, to some degree, by saving precious agricultural land.

source: RisingNepal, jan 2012