‘Development’ putting communal living in danger

As open spaces in the valley are slowly being encroached, people are deprived of chances to live communally, to rejuvenate mentally and to have a safe space when disaster strikes.

Kathmandu Valley is old and traditional. Many gallis and chowks stand in the heart of the valley that have stood the test of time. These traditional chowks sit in the middle and surrounding it are many closely built houses. “These old houses were built small and were only used for daily household necessities,” says heritage activist and documentarian Alok Siddhi Tuladhar. After finishing their private household chores, people in the olden days used to come out to these open spaces called chowks and do their semi-private activities.