Riverside row

The court must be circumspect when judicial meddling can complicate things and disturb social harmony.

The recent Supreme Court ruling, which mandates an additional 20-metre buffer zone besides the Kathmandu Valley’s major rivers like Bagmati, Bishnumati and Manohara, has of late become a piping hot topic of discussion. While intended to facilitate river management and protect the environment, the ruling ignores the other side of the picture: Its socio-economic repercussions for thousands of landowners and households who will be affected by the verdict. To add to their woes, Kathmandu’s Mayor Balendra Shah has rolled up his sleeves to implement the mandate without consulting even his fellow Kathmandu Metropolitan City office bearers, let alone other stakeholders. He appears hell-bent on implementing the verdict.