THE apathy of the Nepalese government to the pollution of the once crystal-pure waters of the Bagmati river has landed it in court, writes Jan Sharma from Kathmandu. Environmentalists have filed a petition at the country's apex court, questioning why action should not be taken against prime minister Girija Prasad Koirala for his failure to save the river.

The 163-km long river, which originates at the Shivapuri hills north of Kathmandu, has a special significance for the Nepalese because many Hindu temples are situated on its banks. Untreated domestic and industrial wastes and the ashes of corpses have polluted the "sacred river".