The research revealed indications that the Changu Narayan hill was a landslide-prone area and it may severely damage the temple that dates back to the 3rd century and the settlements around it.
“The Amatya Satal, on the southern face of the temple, was recently renovated. On closer inspection, one can find cracks on the satal’s plinth,” informs Hari Kumar Shrestha, the principal of NEC, and a member of research team. Tension cracks, bulges on stone steps, building cracks on the temple are some of the indicators of landslide, which are found in Changu Narayan.
However, Changu Narayan’s case is a different one.
Usually, when we talk about landslides, the sudden and destructive ones spring to our mind, but it is a creeping (slow moving) landslide that is haunting the heritage site, where the oldest inscription of the Kathmandu Valley resides. This type is not catastrophic, but in the long run, it can be destructive, assert the experts.
Dr Shrestha adds, “It gradually invites destruction, which goes unnoticed to commoners. For instance, if one builds a house this year, cracks appear the next year. Such cracks are visible on the houses and temple complex.”
And because there are no immediate consequences related to the problems, timely investigations and precautionary methods from the agencies concerned and locals seems to have taken a back seat.
Geologist Dr. Ranjan Kumar Dahal informs, “Landslide is a natural phenomenon and is inevitable because Nepal is a mountainous and hilly region. But human activity can aggravate the process.”
Dr. Dahal, who have visited the site, says the slanted trees and building cracks are the indicators of creeping landslide in Changu Narayan. Along with it, if there is a heavy rainfall or earthquake, it will destabilize the hill.
Like Dahal, Dr Shrestha forwards a similar reasoning.
“Unscientific development activities, like construction of roads, building houses without proper geological research and sand mining from the Manohara riverbanks are some of the possible reasons that are exacerbating the creeping landslide,” says Dr Shrestha.
Dr Shrestha in one of his articles on Changu Narayan writes, “Under the Local Self Governance Act-1988, the local authority (VDC) has issued licenses to contractors for sand mining from the bases of Changu Narayan Hill to enhance revenue collection. The riversides are also cut to increase sand yield.”
Dev Shrestha, a local guide and former secretary of the Changu Narayan Development Committee, opined that sand mining is one of the major problems in the area, and it started about two decades ago.
Apart from legal mining, illegal activities are also prevalent in the area. Porters charge Rs 50 per sack to carry sand from the riverbanks. Although local authorities claim to have initiated works to check illegal mining, a porter (who refused to be named) was transporting a sack of sand from the riverbank when this scribe visited the site about two weeks ago.
The porter informed that the sand was for constructing a local’s house. He, who has been doing the job for the past two years, is also provided food with wages for carrying the sand.
The Manohara River flows closely by the Changu Narayan Hill in its northern premises.
“First, areas of sand mining should be identified for proper reasoning and findings,” geologist Dahal adds, “If the mining is carried out in the toe part of the hill, then it will surely enhance the probability of landslides. The mining lowers the riverbed, causing side fall of soil.”
According to Dr Shrestha, the NEC has been conducting follow-ups on the matter, and the recent one was on gully erosion near the Sankha Daha area in May 2009.
Talking further about unscientific development activities that are enhancing the landslide problem in this UNESCO Heritage Site and demarcated monumental zone, Dr Shrestha says, “A deep ditch has formed near Sankha Daha due to the negligence during the construction of a water tank. And such incidents weaken the land formation.”
Indications that Changu Narayan is suffering from creeping landslides are abundant.
Dr Shrestha, however, emphasizes on more scientific and detailed research to protect the oldest temple complex of the Valley and its settlement from catastrophes in future.
Although this issue has now and then become a topic in the news, no concrete decision has been taken, and no research has been undertaken by government sectors and authorities concerned.
The Department of Archeology (DOA), on whom the responsibility of Nepal’s World Heritage Sites rests, is in a budget crisis, according to DOA officer Suresh Shrestha. And it has been one of the constant complains from the department’s side.
He also informs that DOA does not have a landslide expert, and this disables itself from carrying out investigations on its own. He, however, emphasizes that it is not only the sole task of the department to look after the case.
“Whenever such issues arise, it touches a lot of sectors. Various institutions are involved,” he says.
Through a series of talks with different departments, Republica has found out that aside from DOA, cooperation from the Department of Mines and Geology (DMG), Department of Water Induced Water Disaster Prevention (DWID), and backup information by the Geodetic Department are needed in this case.
The Geodetic Department had established geodetic points in Changu Narayan during the 1980s to study the level of displacements of the regions, according to a officer at the department. However, there have been no concrete follow-ups since then.
Experts say that information from the said department would be crucial in knowing whether there are any changes in the structure of the Changu Narayan Hill.
According to Suresh Shrestha, DOA has already requested DMG to conduct an investigation on the landslide incidence. He highlights that it is not only the budget that is playing an antagonistic role but lack of coordination and cooperation among the department is also a major challenge.
“When we requested the geology department for the research, it was argued that DOA should provide the budget for it because we raised the issue. But the department does not have sufficient budget allocated for it,” informs the DOA officer.
However, Lilanath Rimal, a senior division geologist at the geology department, says due to technical and budget problems, investigation of the issue has not materialized. According to him, the archeology department had sent a request letter for the research about a year ago.
Rimal pinpointed that as the matter also touches water-related issues, DWID shares an equal responsibility. Shan Mukesh Amatya, a senior division hydrologist at DWID, says, “Two years back, as the locals showed interest and had demanded for timely precautionary measures, the department had constructed gabion walls to stabilize slopes against erosion and landslides.”
But even so, there are not enough walls built around the hills.
“A full stop was put on the project because these days locals aren’t showing any further interest. And the department only allocates budget if the locals file for a request application.”
Dr Shrestha and his team had sought DOA’s help some 18 months ago, and the sand mining issue was raised even before then, yet no major step has been taken on the matter.
And once again, it has been proven that conserving cultural heritage sites has become a major challenge. Perhaps, amidst the growing hunger for modernity, the political hullabaloo, the drive to create a new history and erect new concrete buildings has killed the enthusiasm to preserve Nepal’s historical sites. Losing one of our cultural heritage sites is erasing a part of our identity. The earlier we realized it, the better.
All photos by Hari Kumar Shrestha
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