Does the boring wait outside Kathmandu petrol pumps count as torture under the United Nations Convention against Torture? It might as well. The physiologically and psychologically devastating wait at the petrol pump (gas station) from the moment you stand in the line to when that black gold finally fills your tank wastes the entire day. Imagine all the things we could be doing.
And it’s not just the wait. It’s the entire setting that takes its toll: the narrow streets, the traffic, the (c) rowdy Micro buses, the slow Safa-tempos, the holy roads, the constant honking, the pollution, the dirt, the poverty, the ugly billboards, the even uglier Bagmati, the street kids, the garbage, the street dogs, the anger —Surly this has an aftermath in our physical and mental wellbeing.
All that time spent standing the line, cooped up in a car or on a bike- in the heat- in the rain- has beat down on us. It has turned this once tranquil loving city into a nightmare of a town. Imagine what the exotica searching tourists are whispering about us. Never ending peace and love, ya right!
We have created a system that feeds into this fire, says Anil Bhattarai, in his April 18th, 2011 Oped (un) Common Sense in the Kathmandu Post. He explains Nepal’s helplessness to tackle the supply side of the oil market and the urgency to address our demand. This is a zest, of how the aforementioned system works-- when the public transportation is inefficient and private vehicle is a status symbol, cars become more popular, leading to an excessive surge in traffic in an ill-constructed city, which in turn makes motor bikes more popular, which in turn worsens the traffic; all the while increasing our demand for oil. And since we don’t have any oil it’s important we control how and why we demand it.
Plus this over dependence on oil is weakening our national security, both in terms of defense and the environment. Notice how we seem so vulnerable every time India decides to cut oil supply. No one nation should be so reliant on this one commodity that it buys almost exclusively from this one nation. Our present national security policy is a joke. The answer is clear: controlling our oil usage can trigger a lot of positive changes.
The article suggests some eco-friendly approaches. Encouraging a (bi)cycle friendly culture could be a gate to other avenues of change. As more people get on their cycles, or use public transport we can collectively demand better service and more efficient roads. This can snowball into a solution that can address many woes. So far the (bi)cycle has been the uncool choice of conveyance- a play thing of the children. The Cycle, as we call it, has been replaced by the more alluring motor bikes. But motor bikes, like cars and taxi's burn oil - an energy source we do not own. The grand Cycle is one of the solutions to our so many problems. I think everyone should hop on their cycles, and this taboo against the adults and “respectable” people riding cycle is ridiculous. It’s ecologically responsible, way cheaper, and better for our national security. Plus it’s plain old fun.
As citizens of Earth, consider the implication oil extraction has elsewhere. Our dependence of oil effects ecologies and communities where oil is extracted, whether it be the Middle East or the Niger Delta. And our use is having a notable effect at home. This surly has to affect our rational.
Clearly this initiative to make Kathmandu into "an eco-friendly city" will need political will but that political will shall never come till there is social push for it. Shall we as free people do nothing till the Government decides to do something? Are we that dependent on the government that we cannot move till the oligarchy wishes us to move. This is not a UML vs Congress vs Monarchist vs Maobadi’s vs Madhesi’s vs Khas vs Kiratis vs etc…issue. This is about our city, our community, our home.
Support groups like Kathmandu Cycle City 2020 - Ride with Pride!!. The goal of this group is to Make Kathmandu a cycle friendly city till 2020. Contact them regarding what you can do to help.
The cost of using oil goes beyond just what you pay in the pump. The more oil we use the worse our community gets. Our over dependence on oil is the reason we stand in lines at petrol pumps leading us to feel mentally beat down, it’s the reason why our national sovereignty is so compromised, it’s the reason for our unhealthiness. And this won’t change till we change our lifestyles.
Related article: More energy, please; Paavan Mathema, Nepali Times, FROM ISSUE #552 (06 MAY 2011 - 12 MAY 2011)
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