Dr. Monalisa Maharjan and Dr. Stefanie Lotter

Conference: Ethnographies of Urban Data and Technology

IT University of Copenhagen

21 October 2022, 13:00–13:30

Dr. Monalisa Maharjan speaking on urban water supply in the Kathmandu Valley. (Image: Ethnographies of Urban Data and Technology conference page)

Abstract: Kathmandu Valley has one of the earliest urban technologies to supply drinking water into the cities through water conduits (documented since 534 AD). Some of these ancient fountains are still in use, despite most urban households today relying on piped water and modern sewers. Population growth, urbanization, and internal migration due to a civil war and the earthquakes of 2015 increased the need for water beyond planning. The government hence struggles to supply enough water and therefore households rely now on a combination of sources (piped water, rainwater collection, boreholes, water tanks, and ancient water wells) to meet their water needs. This study explores the neighborhood of Alko Hiti, an ancient water well in Patan. It shows how the increase in privately owned boreholes leads to a lowered water table, impairing the function of the ancient water conduits. At Alko Hiti, a communal borehole compensates for the lack of water during the dry season, emphasizing the need for communal access to water. This paper looks at multiple layers of technologies and their overlap. It explores how attempts to preserve 9 the ancient heritage of water conduits intersect with local neighborhood governance and new forms of heritage activism.