TRIPURESHWAR

The pH values have not changed much from 2012, but it took a dip in 2013 in the post monsoon.

BOD and COD have decreasing trends from 2013 in the monsoon, whereas they have a decreasing trend from 2012 onwards in the post monsoon. (see Figure 5-18, 5-19 and 5-20).

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Figure 5-18. pH Readings Tripureshwar

Figure 5-19. BOD & COD in Monsoon Tripureshwar

Figure 5-20. BOD & COD in Post-monsoon Tripureshwar

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The pH values in Balkhu Dovan have slightly increased from 2012 for both seasons. During the monsoon, the BOD and COD were reduced significantly from 2013 onwards. For the post monsoon the BOD and COD have been reduced significantly from 2012. (see Figure 5-21, 5-22 and 5-23).

Figure 5-21. pH Readings Balkhu

Figure 5-22. BOD & COD in Monsoon Balkhu

6.6

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Figure 5-23. BOD & COD in Post-monsoon Balkhu

5.3.7 CHOVAR

The pH values have been reduced for both seasons from 2012. For the monsoon, BOD has a slight decrease, whereas COD has a sharp decrease from 2013 onwards. In the post monsoon, BOD and COD have gradual reductions. (see Figure 5-24, 5-25 and 5-26).

Figure 5-24. pH Readings Chovar

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Figure 5-25. BOD & COD in Monsoon Chovar

Figure 5-26. BOD & COD in Post-monsoon Chovar

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6 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

6.1 CONCLUSION

Upstream sites have better water quality than the downstream sites. The four upstream sites – Sundarijal, Gokarna, Guheshwari Ghat, and Gaurighat – were less turbid, had higher DO, and lower BOD and COD in both the monsoon and post-monsoon seasons than the six downstream sites – Tilganga, Sankhamul Ghat, Tripureshwar, Teku Dovan, Balkhu Dovan, and Chovar. Of the four upstream sites, Sundarijal and Guheshwari Ghat had the lowest turbidity, BOD, and COD, and the highest DO in both seasons. Among the downstream sites, Tilganga had the highest BOD and COD in both seasons and Teku Dovan had the highest COD and the lowest DO post-monsoon.

Water quality has generally improved since 2013 in most of the seven sites, results of which were compared with those of ENPHO. Across the five years for which data were compared, there was not much difference in pH values for either of the two seasons. However, for each year, water during the monsoon was found to be more acidic than that during the post-monsoon season.

Taking Gaurighat as representative of the four upstream, somewhat protected, areas, BOD decreased during 2012-2014 and remained almost the same in 2019; COD decreased from 2012 to 2014 but increased in 2019. Taking Tripureshwar as representative of the more disturbed, downstream areas, both BOD and COD decreased from 2012 onwards. The BOD and COD values were lower in Gaurighat than in Tripureshwar in the monsoon season every year except in 2012 and 2019; in the post-monsoon season, they were significantly lower in Gaurighat in every year.

As many factors impact water quality, it is not possible to attribute the changes across seasons and years to any specific factor.

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6.2 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

There were several limitations of the study reflecting a paucity of reliable data as well as budget and time constraints. The yearly data obtained from ENPHO were for 2011 to 2014; data for other years were not available. Only pH, COD and BOD were common in this study and the study by ENPHO; therefore, only these parameters were studied. Furthermore, the measure of E. coli was ordinal - greater or less than 1100; the E. coli data from 2011-2014 were in absolute numbers. As such, the two measures could not be meaningfully compared. The current study can only interpret the Bagmati River water as undrinkable, considering the high e-Coli count, and cannot do any further analysis. The current study also measured other parameters like turbidity and dissolved oxygen but the study from 2011 to 2014 did not measure these parameters, therefore these also could not be compared. The current study did not collect data for the pre-monsoon as did the ENPHO study, therefore only two samples in a year were compared.

6.3 RECOMMENDATIONS

The general improvement in water quality suggests that the Bagmati Cleanup Campaign should continue and should be extended to its tributaries. The Dhap Dam, with a capacity of 85000 m³ under the 2^nd phase of BRBIP, should be completed on time. It will release water during the pre-monsoon and post-pre-monsoon seasons, flush away the pollutants in the river, and maintain DO at the Pasupatinath Temple to a level where people can bathe. Solid waste and wastewater management is particularly important as shown by examples of cleanup of other previously polluted rivers such as the Kallang, Quinhua, Rhine, and the Thames. The rehabilitation and reconstruction of five existing WWTPs that were mentioned in Table 1-1 and a stronger household waste collection system would be important.

Many individuals, groups and organizations have collected data on the Bagmati River’s water quality. However, data collection appears to be uncoordinated; sample sites and sampling

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frequencies are inconsistent; and data from multiple studies are not comparable. There is an urgent need to standardize test methods and collect consistent data to allow comparison across time and sites. It may be helpful if GON establishes monitoring stations along the Bagmati River to collect and test samples at regular intervals for the key parameters and maintain a database accordingly. Better data will help researchers to accurately measure water quality and identify factors that determine changes in the water.

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7 REFERENCES

Adhikari, S. (2016). Bagmati Clean-Up Campaign: A Greater Initiative. Retrieved from https://tunza.eco-generation.org/resourcesView.jsp?boardID=ambassadorReport&viewID=41749

Asian Development Bank. (2017, 9/19/2019). Bagmati River Basin Improvement Project - Additional Financing. Retrieved from https://www.adb.org/projects/43448-015/main

Bajracharya, S. B. (2009). Bagmati Action Plan (2009–2014) (M. Banskota, P. K. Jha, K. Thapa, D.

Joshi, & R. R. Timsina Eds.). Kathmandu, Nepal: Government of Nepal & National Trust for Nature Conservation.

Batra, A. (2015). Darkling waters. DownToEarth. Retrieved from https://www.downtoearth.org.in/coverage/darkling-waters-34115

Bhandari, B., Joshi, L., Shrestha, P., & Nakarmi, P. (2017). Water quality of Bagmati river in Kathmandu valley: 2011–2014. Journal of Environment and Public Health, 1(1), 65–73.

Retrieved from http://enpho.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/ENPHO-Journal-V1-I1.pdf#page=73

Bosch, J. M., & Hewlett, J. D. (1982). A review of catchment experiments to determine the effect of vegetation changes on water yield and evapotranspiration. Journal of Hydrology, 55(1–

4), 3–23. doi:10.1016/0022-1694(82)90117-2

CEMAT Consultants. (2000). Report on surface water quality monitoring works of Kathmandu Valley.

Urban Water Supply Reforms in the Kathmandu Valley Project.

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Dahal, A., Khanal, M., & Ale, M. (2011). Bagmati River Festival: Conservation of Degrading Rivert.

Paper presented at the 2011 Georgia Water Resources Conference, University of Georgia. http://hdl.handle.net/1853/46295

Hardach, S. (2015). How the River Thames was brought back from the dead. BBC Britain. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20151111-how-the-river-thames-was-brought-back-from-the-dead

Health and Environmental Management Society. (2016). Assessment of Land Cover and its Contribution to Runoff Response in Watershed to aid land use planning for sustainable landscape:

A Pilot Research Study in Small Watersheds of Tanahun and Kaski Districts. USAID and WWF grant number AID–367–A–11–00003

Kannel, P. R., Lee, S., Kanel, S. R., Kahn, S. P., & Lee, Y.-S. (2007). Spatial–temporal variation and comparative assessment of water qualities of urban river system: a case study of the river Bagmati (Nepal). Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 129(1–3), 433–459.

doi:10.1007/s10661-006-9375-6

Kathmandu Upatyaka Khanepani Limited, Ministry of Urban Development, & Government of Nepal. (2013). Kathmandu Valley Wastewater Management Project. Asian Development Bank. https://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/project-document/76140/34304-043-nep-iee-01.pdf

Kathmandu Valley Environment Outlook. (2007). (G. Rana, A. B. Murray, D. R. Maharjan, & A. K.

Thaku Eds.). Kathmandu, Nepal: International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development.

NWCF. (2009). The Bagmati: Issues, Challenges and Prospects. Kathmandu, Nepal: Nepal Water Conservation Foundation and National Trust for Nature Conservation.

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Odum, E. P. (1971). Fundamentals of Ecology (3rd ed.). Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Saunders.

Pandey, S. (2005). Water pollution and health. Kathmandu University Medical Journal, 4, 128–134.

Prajapati, G. R. (2015). Participatory Approach of Bagmati River Conservation and its Present Status of Water Quality. (M. Sc.). Pokhara University, Pokhara, Nepal.

Project Administration Manual for Nepal: Bagmati River Basin Improvement Project. (2013). Asian Development Bank. https://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/project-document/79350/43448-013-pam.pdf

Singapore Infopedia (2019). Clean-up of Singapore River and Kallang Basin. Retrieved from https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_2019-05-21_104327.html

Urban Pathways. (2020). Nepal - Kathmandu. Retrieved from https://www.urban-pathways.org/kathmandu.html

Vaidya, S. R. (2017). Status of Bagmati River before and after cleaning campaign in Kathmandu valley. International Journal of Multidisciplinary Education and Research, 2(4), 85–88.

doi:10.22271/multieducation

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8 APPENDICES

Water Sampling Pictures

a. Water samplings done during monsoon (August /September 2019) and post-monsoon (December 2019)

Figure 8-1. Sundarijal, Monsoon Figure 8- 2. Sundarijal, Post- monsoon

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Figure 8- 3. Gokarna, Monsoon Figure 8- 4. Gokarna, Post-monsoon

Figure 8- 5. Gujeshwari Ghat, Figure 8- 6. Gujeshwari Ghat, Post-monsoon

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Figure 8- 7. Gaurighat, Monsoon Figure 8- 8. Gaurighat, Post-monsoon

Figure 8- 9. Tilganga, Monsoon Figure 8- 10. Tilganga, Post-monsoon

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Figure 8- 11. Sankhamul Ghat,

Monsoon Figure 8- 12. Sankhamool Ghat,

Post-monsoon

Figure 8- 13. Tripureshwar, Monsoon Figure 8- 14. Tripureshwar, Post-monsoon

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Figure 8- 15. Teku Dovan, Monsoon Figure 8- 16. Teku Dovan, Post-monsoon

Figure 8- 17. Balkhu Dovan, Monsoon Figure 8- 18. Balkhu Dovan, Post-monsoon

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Figure 8- 19. Chovar, Monsoon Figure 8- 20. Post-monsoon

8.1 BAGMATI RIVER CLEANUP CAMPAIGN

200thWeek near Sankhamul Ghat, April 11, 2015 Photo credit: The Himalayan Times

MP_DRAFT 53 300th week at Guheshwari Ghat, April 22, 2018

Photo credit: Rising Nepal

336th Week Tripureshwar, October 19, 2019 Photo credit: National News Agency (RSS)

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---END OF MP PROJECT----