The Bagmati is dead—and there’s nothing we can do about it

Madhukar Upadhyay, like many who grew up in the 70s and 80s, recalls swimming in the Bagmati as a child. The waters were pristine then, as translucent as glass, with fish abounding. “My dad’s generation even used Bagmati’s water for drinking, after only a quick decantation process,” he says.