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5/1/1994 - For a Cleaner and Greener Kathmandu Valley by Cynthia M. Caron

OT FOR PUBLICATION CMC WITHOUTWRITER SCONSENT INSTITUTEOFCURRENTWORLDAPA1RS For cleaner greenerKathmandu Valley Kathmandu Nepal May Mr Peter B Martin InstituteofCurremWorld Aa West Wheelock Street Hanover NewHampshire 03755USA Dear Peter Touts withtrousers barelytouching theirankleswhisperinmyear Changemone 3madam Goodprice Theshopsandrestaurants blastoutthebestofthenewandtheoldinWesternmttsic asMadonnaandKansasmixwithNepalifilmsongsinthesoundwavesofthenan streets Comesitanddrinkteawithmemadam No Maa itisbreakingmyheart ashopkeeper shouts I That Aregular heart breaker WelcometoKathmandu IamhereforfmalarrangementsformyvisaintoBhutan thelargely unknownHimalKingdom eastofNepal Kathmanduseems relativelyunchangedsincemylast Ssit The narrow roads I remember Shops overflow goods Free Tibet T shirts Buddhist tankas delicately painted canvas colors crushed stone orfulwoolenrugs silverjewelryinlaidwithgem stones The itseffoverflowswithpeopleandtransport Vehicleexhaust isblack thickand ticklesthe throat I individual standing behind shakes grinds exhales choking fumes Inoticeanumberofmotoristsandpedestrianswearingsmallpiecesofclothacrossthe noseandmouth afftxedwithstringlikeasurgicalmask IonlyrecallsuchinventionsinBangkok andColombo largermorehumid cities wherethe isheavy enoughthatonecanalmostfeel oneselfwalkingthrough ButinKathmandu ssetting whichismuchlikeL A thepollutioncan itselfandhoveroverthevalley Donotmistakethisforacityofchronicpollution ItisnotoneofAsia smostpollutedcities In theUnitedNations citedfiveofthesevenworld sworstpolluted citiesinAsiaincluding Beijing Calcutta Jakarta NewDelhiandShenyanginChina Itisnotevenoneofthecitieslisted ofAsia future megacities Megacities urban areas where population expected million The U nited Nations estimates Asia cities allwiththeassociatedhealthproblemsofaswellingurbancemer Kathmandu isthe capitalofNepal Internationalinstitutions technological facilitiesandembassies arebasedhere ffyouwanttotrektoEverestorinthe amnapumas astopinKathmandu CynthiaCaron isaJohnM MusserMemorialFellowofthe Institutestudyingforestconservation South Asia Since Institute Current World Affairs Crane Rogers Foundation provided fellowships enable outstanding young adults outside United States write about international areas issues Endowed bythelateCharlesR Crane theInstituteisalsosupportedbycontributionsfromlike mindedindividualsand foundations