Bagmati Province Explained

Bagmati Province
Native Name:बागमती प्रदेशVāgmatī pradēśa
Settlement Type:Province
Mapsize:300px
Mapsize1:300px
Map Caption1:Map of Bagmati, Nepal
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name: Nepal
Parts Type:Districts
Parts Style:para
P1:13
Seat Type:Capital
Seat:Hetauda
Seat1 Type:Largest city
Seat1:Kathmandu
Governing Body:Government of Bagmati Province
Leader Title:Governor
Leader Name:Yadav Chandra Sharma
Leader Title1:Chief Minister
Leader Name1:Bahadur Singh Lama (Congress)
Leader Title2:Legislature
Leader Name2:Unicameral (110 seats)
Leader Title3:Parliamentary constituency
Leader Name3:House of Representatives (33)
National Assembly (8)
Leader Title4:High Court
Leader Name4:Patan High Court
Established Title:Formation
Established Date:20 September 2015
Area Total Km2:20300
Area Rank:5th
Population As Of:2021
Population Total:6084042
Population Rank:2nd
Population Density Km2:auto
Population Density Rank:2nd
Blank Name Sec1:Official language
Blank Info Sec1:Nepali
Blank1 Info Sec1:1.Nepal Bhasa
2.Tamang
Blank Name Sec2:HDI
Blank Info Sec2: 0.673
Blank1 Name Sec2:HDI rank
Blank1 Info Sec2:1st
Blank2 Name Sec2:Literacy
Blank2 Info Sec2: 83% (2024)
Blank3 Name Sec2:Sex ratio
Blank3 Info Sec2:98.77 /100 (2011)
Blank4 Name Sec2:GDP
Blank4 Info Sec2:US$ 14.5 billion (Rank 1)
Blank5 Info Sec2:US$ 2618
Blank5 Name Sec2:GDP Per Capita
Blank6 Name Sec1:Ethnic groups
Blank6 Info Sec1:
Timezone:NST
Utc Offset:+5:45
Geocode:NP-TH
Iso Code:NP-P3
Elevation Max Point:Ganesh Himal
Elevation Min Point:Golaghat
Elevation Min M:141
Elevation Max M:7,422
Government Type:Self governing province

Bagmati Province (Nepali: बागमती प्रदेश, Vāgmatī pradēśa)[1] [2] is one of the seven provinces of Nepal established by the constitution of Nepal.[3] Bagmati is Nepal's second-most populous province and fifth largest province by area. It is bordered by Tibet Autonomous Region of China to the north, Gandaki Province to the west, Koshi Province to the east, Madhesh Province and the Indian state of Bihar to the south. With Hetauda as its provincial headquarters,[4] the province is also the home to the country's capital Kathmandu, is mostly hilly and mountainous, and hosts mountain peaks including Gaurishankar, Langtang, Jugal, and Ganesh.

Being the second most populous province of Nepal, it possesses rich cultural diversity with resident communities and castes including Newar, Tamang, Madhesis, Sherpa, Tharu, Chepang, Jirel, Brahmin, Chhetri, and more.[5] It hosted the highest number of voters in the 2017 election for the House of Representatives and Provincial Assembly.

Etymology

Bagmati is named after the Bagmati River which runs through the Kathmandu valley. The river is considered the source of the Newar civilization and urbanization.[6] The river has been mentioned as Vaggumuda in Vinaya Pitaka and Nandabagga.[6] It has also been mentioned as Bahumati in Battha Suttanta of Majjhima Nikaya.[6] An inscription dated 477 A.D. describes the river as Bagvati Parpradeshe and subsequently in the Gopalraj Vanshavali.[6]

A provincial assembly meeting on 12 January 2020 endorsed the proposal to name the province as Bagmati by a majority vote. Hetauda was declared as the permanent state capital on 12 January 2020.[7] [8]

Geography

Bagmati Province has an area of 20,300 km2 which is about 13.79% of the total area of Nepal. The elevation of the province ranges from 141 m at Golaghat in Chitwan District to 7,422m at Ganesh Himal. The province has an altitude low enough to support deciduous, coniferous, and alpine forests and woodlands. 27.29% land is covered by forest. The temperature varies with altitude. There are 10 sub-basins and 33 major rivers flowing through the province. The longest river is the Sunkoshi measuring 160.19 km.

Climate

Bagmati province has climatic variations, which are associated with the diverse nature of its topography and altitude. The climatic zone of Bagmati province starts from the High Himalaya in the north, above 5000 m with tundra and an arctic climate to the Siwalik region in the south, 500–1000 m with a sub-tropical climatic zone. The annual precipitation also varies from 150 to 200 mm in the high Himalayas to 1100–3000 mm in the southern plains. Similarly, the average annual temperature of the province varies from 30 °C to -10 °C. Rainfall takes place mainly during the summer.

Average temperatures and precipitation for selected communities in Bagmati[9] !Location!August(°C)!January(°C)!AnnualPrecipitation

(mm)

Banepa23.7 9.91930.8
Bharatpur27.614.22550.1
Hetauda26.512.92069.5
Suryabinayak21.47.71821.7
Kathmandu23101360
Kirtipur23.59.42100.9

History

During the Lichhavi and Malla period, this region was known as Nepalmandal and was ruled by Newar kings. Historically the area of Bagmati province known as "Kathmandu Kshetra", which was established in 1956. Kathmandu Kshetra was composed by grouping the then five districts. Those five districts are now divided into many districts. Kathmandu Kshetra had a total area of and total population was 17.93 Lakhs (1.7 million).[10]

The five districts were:

  1. Narayani District (Bara, Parsa, Rautahat)
  2. Rapti District (Chitwan, Ramechap, Makwanpur)
  3. Chautara District (Sindhupalchok, Kavrepalanchowk)
  4. Trishuli District (Nuwakot, Dhading)
  5. Kathmandu District (Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Bhaktapur)

In 1962, administrative system restructured and the "Kshetras" system cancelled and the country restructured into 75 development districts and those districts were grouped into zones.[11] In 1972, the region was named to Central Development Region. It had 3 zones and 19 districts.

Major historical forts of Bagmati

Makwanpurgadhi is located about 17 kilometers northeast of Hetauda, the district headquarters of Makwanpur district. Makwanpur Fort is a place of historical and tourist importance in Makwanpur district.[12]

Sindhuli Gadhi is an important place in terms of natural beauty and history. This place is about 150 kilometers east of Kathmandu. Sindhuligadi Nepal is a living document of the British War.

Rasuwa Fort on the Nepal-China border is considered to be an important security fort between Nepal and China. The historical fortress is about a century and a half old.

Demographics

See also: Tamang people and Newar people. According to the 2021 Nepal Census, Bagmati Province has a population of 6,084,042 comprising 2,761,224 females and 2,672,594 males. The province has the second-highest population in the country having 20.84% of the population. The population density of the province is 300 people per square kilometre which is the second highest in the country.[13]

Ethnic groups

Tamang is the largest ethnic group in the province making up around 20.54% of the population. Hill Brahmans are the next largest group making up around 18.32% of the population followed by Chhetris (17.13%) and Newars (17.07%) respectively. Similarly Magar, Kami and Gurung make up 4.87%, 2.52% and 2.22% of the population respectively. Tharu (1.63%), Rai (1.52%), Damai (1.36%), Sarki (1.33%) and Chepang (1.16%) are other smaller ethnic groups in the province.

Languages

Nepali is the most common mother tongue in the province with 56.23% of the population speaking Nepali as their mother tongues. Tamang language is spoken by 18.16% and Nepal Bhasa is spoken by 12.23% of the population as their mother tongue. Magar (1.79%), Tharu (1.31%), Maithili (1.17%), Gurung (0.92%) and Chepang (0.83%) are other languages spoken in the province.

The Language Commission of Nepal has recommended Nepal Bhasa and Tamang as official language in the province. The commission has also recommended Magar, Tharu and Maithili to be additional official languages, for specific regions and purposes in the province.[14]

Religion

Hinduism is the most followed religion in the province, with 71.8% of the population identifying as Hindus. Buddhists are the largest minority population with 23.3% of the population following Buddhism and Christianity is followed by 2.9% of the population in the province.

Administrative subdivisions

See also: Districts of Nepal, List of cities in Nepal and List of gaunpalikas of Nepal. There are total 119 local administrative units in the province which include 3 metropolitan cities, 1 sub-metropolitan city, 41 urban municipalities and 74 rural municipalities.[15] [16]

Bagmati is divided into 13 districts, which are listed below. A district is administered by the head of the District Coordination Committee and the District Administration Officer. The districts are further divided into municipalities or rural municipalities.

Districts

Districts in Nepal are the second level of administrative divisions after provinces. Bagmati Province is divided into 13 districts, which are listed below. A district is administered by the head of the District Coordination Committee and the District Administration Officer. The districts are further divided into municipalities or rural municipalities.

Districts of Bagmati Province!Districts!Headquarters!Population (2021)[17]
SindhuliKamalamai300,026
RamechhapManthali170,302
DolakhaBhimeshwar172,767
BhaktapurBhaktapur432,132
DhadingDhading Besi325,710
KathmanduKathmandu2,041,587
KavrepalanchokDhulikhel364,039
LalitpurLalitpur551,667
NuwakotBidur263,391
RasuwaDhunche46,689
SindhupalchokChautara262,624
ChitwanBharatpur719,859
MakwanpurHetauda466,073

Municipalities

Cities and villages are governed by municipalities in Nepal. A district may have one or more municipalities. Bagmati has two types of municipalities.

  1. Urban Municipality (Urban Municipality has three levels):
    1. Metropolitan city (Mahanagarpalika)
    2. Sub-metropolitan city (Upa-mahanagarpalika) and
    3. Municipality (Nagarpalika)
  2. Rural Municipality (Gaunpalika)

The government of Nepal has set out a minimum criteria to meet cities and towns. These criteria include a certain population, infrastructure and revenues.

Government and administration

See main article: Provincial governments of Nepal and Provincial Assembly of Bagmati Pradesh. Bagmati provincial assembly is the unicameral legislative assembly consisting of 110 members. Candidates for each constituency are chosen by the political parties or stand as independents. Each constituency elects one member under the first past the post (FPTP) system of election. The current constitution specifies that sixty percent of the members should be elected from the first past the post system and forty percent through the party-list proportional representation (PR) system. Women should account for one-third of total members elected from each party. If one-third percentage are not elected, the party that fails to ensure so shall have to elect one-third of the total number as women through the party-list proportional representation. The Governor acts as the head of the province, while the Chief Minister is the head of the provincial government. The Chief Judge of the Patan High Court is the head of the judiciary.[18]

The present Governor, Chief Minister and Chief Judge are Yadav Chandra Sharma, Rajendra Prasad Pandey and Tek Bahadur Moktan respectively.[19] [20] The provincial assembly has 110 members while the province has 33 House of Representative constituencies.[21] The term length of provincial assembly is five years. The Provincial Assembly is currently housed at the Regional Education Directorate in Hetauda.[22]

Party! colspan="3"
Total
Votes%SeatsVotes%Seats
CPN (Unified Marxist-Leninist)725,11335.3741677,31735.8112 45
CPN (Unified Socialist)9413
Nepali Congress748,20736.509559,24929.5714 23
21,5521.0523,9581.27
CPN (Maoist Centre)355,12616.3215316,87616.758 23
Bibeksheel Sajha Party74,6563.640124,4426.5833
bgcolor=#FFD700 Rastriya Prajatantra Party27,9601.36059,2683.1311
Nepal Mazdoor Kisan Party40,5021.98141,6102.201 2
bgcolor=#4682B4 Rastriya Prajatantra Party (Democratic)1,3990.07028,8551.5311
Others50,7913.48059,7313.1600
Independent4,6880.2300
Invalid/Blank votes70,471226,043
Total2,120,465100662,117,31410044110
Registered voters/turnout3,074,38168.973,074,38168.87
Source: Election Commission of Nepal

Economy

Bagmati Province is the most industrialized province and has maintained the leading position in the economic sector in Nepal. With GDP of NPR 1.43 Trillion (as of 2019),[23] Bagmati alone is the single largest contributor to the national economy with a share of 36.8% in the country's GDP.

Major vusiness groups

Infrastructure

Health care

According to the National Demographic Health Survey (NDHS) 2016, the Province's Neonatal Mortality (per 1000 live births) stands at 17 and Infant mortality rate (per 1000 live births) stands at 29, both of which are below the national average of 21 and 32, respectively.According to the Annual report of Department of Health Services (DoHS) 2018/19, Bagmati Province has 35 public hospitals, 41 Primary Health Care Centres (PHCCs), 641 Health posts and 1417 Non-public facilities.[24]

Education

The province has always been an educational hub of the country.

Enrollment rate in primary school in the province is 95.79, whereas adult literacy stands at 74.85%.There are various education levels in Bagmati Province. They are: Primary Level (31%), Lower Secondary Level (18%), Secondary Level (11%), SLC (12%), Intermediate Level (11%), Beginner (3%), Non-formal (5%), Graduate (6%), Postgraduate and above (2%).

Universities

Communication

In Bagmati province, 58.6% have radio access, followed by 54.0% have access to TV, and only 10.0% have access to the internet. Similarly, 16.7% have access to landline telephones, while 76.1% have access to mobile phones. There are a total of 51 radio stations. Some of the radio stations are Radio Chitwan, Radio Upathyaka, and Radio Lalitpur. There are a total of 405 newspaper channels in Bagmati Province with national, Provincial and local outreach. As per the classification, some of the top-ranking newspapers are Gorkhapatra Dainik, Himalayan Times.[25]

Energy

Bagmati Province has the second highest level of electrification with 94.44 percent electrification among the provinces. Districts like Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Nuwakot are fully electrified. Sindhuli district has the lowest electrification rate with the coverage of 69.51% so far.

Transportation

Roadways

Roads connect all 13 districts of Bagmati Province. However, people living in the high-altitude regions of Rasuwa, Sindhuplachok and Dolakha experience difficulty accessing roadways perennially. Major highways of the province are as follows:

  1. Tribhuvan Highway: Tribhuvan Highway (H02) which is also part of Asian Highway 42 (AH42) connects the capital city with Birgunj, a major business hub in Province 2 bordered with India.
  2. Araniko Highway: Araniko Highway (H03) which is also part of AH42 connects capital city with Kodari on the Nepal-China border.
  3. Prithivi Highway: Prithivi Highway (H04) connects capital city via Naubise, Dhading with Pokhara in Gandaki Province. This landslide-prone and heavily congested highway passes through five districts: Kathmandu, Dhading, Chitwan, Tanahuand Kaski.
  4. BP Koirala Highway: The BP Highway(H06), also known as the Banepa- Bardibas Highway, links Kathmandu Valley with Province 2 and connects with eastern Nepal.

Ropeways

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: प्रदेश ३ को नाम बाग्मती . Province No. 3 named as Bagmati . ekantipur.com . ne . 2020-01-12.
  2. Web site: प्रदेश ३ को नाम बाग्मती, स्थायी राजधानी हेटौंडा तोकियो . Province No. 3 named as Bagmati, permanent capital Hetauda . Online Khabar . ne . 2020-01-12.
  3. Web site: Nepal Provinces. statoids.com. 2016-03-21.
  4. Web site: Finally, Provincial Assembly renames Province 3 as Bagmati, picks Hetaunda as capital . 12 January 2020 . en-GB. 2020-01-19.
  5. News: Highest number of voters in province no. 3. 2018-04-15. en.
  6. http://himalaya.socanth.cam.ac.uk/collections/journals/ancientnepal/pdf/ancient_nepal_159_02.pdf Article: नेपाली वास्तु र वास्तुग्रन्थको संक्षिप्त परिचय, Author: Tarananda Mishra
  7. Web site: PA decides to call Province 3 Bagmati, with Hetauda as its permanent HQ. 2020-01-13. The Himalayan Times. en-US. 2020-02-02.
  8. Web site: Province 3 assembly meet endorses Bagmati as the name of the province by majority votes . 12 January 2020 . www.kathmandupost.com . Kantipur Media Group . 12 January 2020.
  9. Web site: Nepal Travel Weather Averages (Weatherbase). 2018-04-28. Weatherbase.
  10. Book: नेपालको जिल्ला प्रशासन पुनर्गठनको रिपोर्ट, २०१३ . Nepal . Nepal Govt . 35, 36, 37 .
  11. Web site: Memorial Step of King Mahendra in 1st Poush 2017 BS . 13 December 2017. reviewnepal.com. 6 February 2018.
  12. Web site: यस्तो छ मकवानपुर गढीको इतिहास. 2021-07-22. Highlights Tourism. en-US.
  13. Web site: National Data Portal-Nepal. 2020-12-26. nationaldata.gov.np.
  14. Web site: सरकारी कामकाजको भाषाका आधारहरूको निर्धारण तथा भाषासम्बन्धी सिफारिसहरू (पञ्चवर्षीय प्रतिवेदन- साराांश) २०७८ . Language Commission . Language Commission . 28 October 2021 . 6 September 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210906171816/https://languagecommission.gov.np/files/%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%82%E0%A4%B8%20%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%82%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%B7%E0%A4%A3%20%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%80%20%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%9C%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%8B%20%E0%A4%AD%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B7%E0%A4%BE.pdf . dead .
  15. Web site: 2018-08-31. स्थानिय तह. 2021-05-15. https://web.archive.org/web/20180831065451/http://103.69.124.141/. 31 August 2018.
  16. Web site: स्थानिय तह. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20180831065451/http://103.69.124.141/. 31 August 2018. 2018-04-27. 103.69.124.141.
  17. https://citypopulation.de/en/nepal/admin/3__bagmati/ 2021 Census District Level Detail Report
  18. News: High Courts get their chief judges. 2018-04-27. en.
  19. News: UML PP leader Dor Mani Paudel appointed CM of Province 3. 2018-02-11. The Himalayan Times. 2018-04-27. en-US.
  20. Web site: President of Nepal administers oath to Chiefs of seven provinces DD News. ddnews.gov.in. en. 2018-04-27.
  21. News: CDC creates 495 constituencies. 2017-08-31. The Himalayan Times. 2018-04-27. en-US.
  22. News: Preparations under way for assembly meeting. 2018-01-31. The Himalayan Times. 2018-04-27. en-US.
  23. Web site: PROVINCE WISE GDP OF NEPAL 2019. 2021-05-15. nepalindata.com.
  24. Web site: WHO Nepal COVID-19 Profile 2020: Bagmati Province - Nepal. 2021-08-17. ReliefWeb. 25 May 2021 . en.
  25. Web site: WHO Nepal COVID-19 Profile 2020: Bagmati Province - Nepal. 2021-08-17. ReliefWeb. 25 May 2021 . en.