Kathmandu, Feb. 13 -- A place called Bhotahiti has no hiti, and Sundhara no longer carries the flowing water that once defined it. Sukedhara has no visible source either, and across Kathmandu Valley, names that once pointed to water now point mostly to memory.

These places were not named by accident; water once shaped everyday life there. Today, the absence of that water tells another story, one about urban change, neglect, and a slow rediscovery of value.

Hitis were once woven into the daily life of the Valley. People collected water for drinking, washing, and rituals, and communities collectively maintained the structures. Now, many hitis stand dry, while others are damaged or buried, and only a fraction still function as they were me...