Kathmandu: The Bagmati River holds significant religious importance as a sacred site in Hindu and Buddhist traditions. Currently, parks are being constructed around some temples near the Bagmati River.

The High-Powered Committee for the Integrated Development of the Bagmati Civilization is placing great emphasis on the construction of parks to maintain a clean and green environment in the Kathmandu Valley, preserve the historical, archaeological, and cultural heritage related to the river system, and identify and protect the entire Bagmati civilization.

The Committee has taken ownership of the UN Park, established in Jwagal, Lalitpur in 2052 BS. Efforts are underway to enhance the aesthetics of the UN Park by surrounding it with greenery. Kamal Aryal, the Information Officer, informed that several parks have already been constructed along the Bagmati River, with more currently in progress. Approximately 1,576 ropani of land within the UN Park now belongs to the Committee.

Aryal further explained, "There are a total of 31 parks, both large and small, along the Bagmati corridor. We have leased some of our land to different organizations for park management purposes for a specified period. These organizations have constructed parks under various names."

The parks along the Bagmati corridor have been created by extracting soil from the river. The soil carried by the Bagmati River forms mounds and can intrude into human settlements and parks during floods. By extracting and collecting the soil and sand from the riverbed, the flow of river water is improved, and the risks to nearby human settlements and parks are reduced.

The construction of parks adjacent to the corridor also contributes to maintaining the cleanliness of the river. Currently, there is no entrance fee for the newly-constructed parks, although a small fee is charged for shooting music videos.

The Committee stated that implementing an entrance fee system would enhance park management effectiveness. Furthermore, once the construction works are completed, all the parks will be handed over to the metropolitan cities for sound management and preservation.