SEQUESTRATION OF BLUE LAND: AN URBANIZATION CONFLICT IN THE CASE OF JANAKPUR DHAM SUB-METROPOLITAN CITY, NEPAL

Abstract

Water is the 'elixir of life,' but because modernity and haphazard urbanization have changed human lifestyles and behaviors, people who formerly depended on the Blue Land have been cut off from it. Once thriving centers of activity and culture, ponds now face challenges from waste buildup and greywater drainage, which results in pond encroachment in vital resources to be converted into urban infrastructure such as roads, public buildings, or privately owned assets, often controlled by wealthy people, i.e. mahant. Declared the "City of Pond," Janakpur Dham is situated at the center of a major urban dispute arising from the sequestration of its valuable Blue Land resources by its users. The pond is the basis or evolution of the towns surrounding it. The accelerated rate of urbanization is posing a serious threat to these water bodies, which have immense historical, religious, and cultural value. The objective of this research is to formulate blue land inclusion planning, aiming to benefit the local community, enhance climate resilience, and contribute to disaster risk reduction.