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Open space preservation project: Community park
construction
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WATO-Nepal has
been involved in the construction of a
community park in Gyaneswor community,
Kathmandu Nepal, keeping in line with
its efforts to deal with the problem of
pollution, litter abatement and waste
management through
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(Nepal Army,
Ministry of physical planning, Municipality
development committee, District development
committee, Department of water supply,
Kathmandu municipality,
Ward office 33), along with invaluable contributions from
local schools (Galaxy school) and clubs in our effort to
preserve open spaces in kathmandu. On behalf of
gyaneswor community, we extend our sincere appreciation
to Hon minister Prakash Man singh, Mr. Bishnu neupane (Jagadamba
cement, nepal), Nepal finance, Mr Sudip
bista, Mr Amar upreti and family, Mr Umesh
pandey, Mr Naresh pandey, Mr
Dal bahadur and all the gyaneswor community members who
have actively supported our open space preservation work
in cash and in kind. We are most obliged to Mr. D. N Roy
(Senior Architect), who spent nights and days with the
community in designing the park for community. |
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community beautification and
development.
The community park has been constructed through
the support of the Gyaneswor community dwellers
as well as with the assistance of various
agencies and departments of Nepal Government and
local and foreign donor agencies.In particular,
we are most grateful to our foreign donor
agency, our key partner who has supported our
work from the very beginning in bringing
together communities towards developing their
own communities. We are appreciative of
enthusiasm, involvement and support from
government bodies |
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The need for Open space preservation |
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especially during the rainy season.
Likewise, the area being a public
space, passers by and the neighbors made
the place dirty by throwing litter and
garbage into the place. A certain part
of area was also illegally encroached by
an auto workshop. The old cars at the
place and the repair work caused a great
deal of noise and air pollution in the
area. More disconcerting to the dwellers
in the area was the fact that the area
was also frequented by drug users and
looters in the absence of adequate
lighting and safety measures. |
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While studying the problem of
pollution and waste control and
management issues, it was found that the
area where the park has been constructed
was found to be among the dirtiest areas
in Gyaneswor. The land area where the
park is being constructed used to be
misused as a waste dumping site and
inhabited by illegal squatters.
People in the neighborhood had also used
the area to dump their construction
material adding to the pollution of the
surrounding area. In the absence of a
public sewage system, the area was fast
becoming a breeding ground for various
diseases, |
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Park for community - Building social
interaction |
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Community Park,
Gyaneswor, therefore, not only serves as a
recreational area for children but also brings
together the adults from Gyaneswor and
surrounding neighborhoods, is serving as an area
for social interaction among locals. Thus it
also serves as an endeavor to build social
interaction among the residents, which was
virtually non existent. The construction of the
park has immediately discouraged drug users and
other unsocial activities in the neighborhood.
The park is also a sanctuary for a few small
sized ancient temples and shrines located in its
vicinity. |
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With the level of support and
involvement from all concerned stakeholders, a
clean, green, well-maintained park is now
available to all. The park which covers a total
area of 8928sq ft (93x96 ft) is welcoming to
people of all age groups. As such, the park
includes a wide number of amenities including a
children's playing house (including slides, and
climbing nets, sand pit), swings, along with a
basket-ball court, badminton court, chautari and
benches.
An acupunctural walking path,
specially useful for elderly people and
heart patients have also been
constructed. In support of these
facilities, other amenities include a
tube-well for water supply, a well
manicured garden around the perimeter of
the park, sanitary toilet, and a
lighting system around the perimeter of
the park.
As in most of the neighborhoods of
Kathmandu, there are no facilities for
the residents of Gyaneswor neighborhood
for recreation, social interaction or
for sports and other social activities.
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Building community confidence |
As part of its confidence
building measures, WATO, started its community
level project in Gyaneswor, Kathmandu Nepal,
with a
construction of an alley,
with similar
problems in its vicinity, and its success was
immediately followed by the construction of the
community park. A significant amount of local
support increased in the due course.
The projects success have thus played a vital
role not only in exploring ways to successfully
address the pollution problem in the Nepalese
community but also in setting example within the
community , that it is in their own hands to
build their community dreams and protect the
environment. With the increased level of
awareness among the locals, and their sense of
ownership towards the park they have built with
their own hands, development of a community
driven proper management and monitoring system
for the park and its surrounding area is also in
progress. |
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WATO is exploring possibilities to replicate
the success in other neighborhoods. We envision
a greater community in Nepal whose residents
will learn to care, love and protect the
environment and produce a collective community
effort towards building a pollution-free
environment for all. In this regard, we would
also like to take this opportunity to request
for your ideas, suggestions and welcome you to
be part of a solution. You are the expert on
your local community problems, so come join us
and be a local champion! |
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