The Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) office, in coordination with locals, is going to launch Bishnumati River cleaning program on Friday.
The Bishnumati River is one of the major eight rivers in the capital after Bagmati, which is heavily polluted due to the mismanagement of drainage system and dumping of wastages and sewers rampantly. [break]
“We are going to clean a 5-kilometer stretch of the river between Kalimati to Soghabhagwati on Friday. For the purpose, the KMC is holding a meeting with its ward members in the areas on Monday,” informed Rabin Man Shrestha, chief of the Environment Management Division at the KMC.
According to him, the KMC officials will discuss with the ward members and develop strategies for the cleanliness program. “We will urge locals residing in the river areas to take part in the campaign,” added Shrestha.
He said the KMC is also mulling to develop the Bishnumati River cleaning program as a weekly program in line with the Bagmati Sanitation Grand Campaign in which public voluntarily gather to clean the Bagmati River every Saturday.
“The only initiative from the government side is not enough in any environment conservation campaign. So, the program is being organized to encourage locals residing along the Bisnumati River to voluntarily participate in the cleaning program in the days to come,” said Shrestha.
He said the KMC will also place several hoarding boards along the river appealing the locals not to dump wastes into the river.
“We are also planning to charge fine if anyone is found throwing wastes into the river,” he added.
Mausam Khanal, executive director of Nepal River Conservation Trust, welcomed the cleaning program being launched at Bishnumati River by the KMC.
“In the past, many organizations also had organized similar cleaning programs along Bishnumati River. But such programs would peter away soon as the government authorities paid nascent interest in those programs. This time, the KMC is eager in cleaning the river which is really appreciable,” he said, adding, the government authorities should launch such programs as a collaborative effort with public.
If the Bisnumati River becomes clean, it will automatically contribute in the cleanliness of the Bagmati River as the former gets mixed with Bagmati at Pachali in Teku.
Related story
Bishnumati River cleaning campaign begins
