– Purna Prasad Mishra

The High Powered Bagmati Civilization Integrated Development Committee is to assign the responsibility of cleaning up the rivers to the related metropolitan wards.

Committee’s governing board member Mala Kharel said that they are preparing to gove this responsibility to the metropolis wards concerned from January 25 when the Bagmati River Cleaning Mega Campaign enters into the 350th week of its implementation.

Kharel said that Kathmandu Metropolitan City, Ward No 11 would be assigned the responsibility of cleaning the stretch of the Bagmati river flowing through the ward.

The stretch of the Bagmati river from Rudramati Dobhan at Babarmahal up to Gushingal, Tripureshwor is about 1,000 metres and it falls in KMC ward no 11. This stretch also includes the squatters settlement at Thapathali. KMC ward 11 chair Hiralal Tandukar said cleaning the Bagmati river near the squatter’ settlement at Thapathali is quite challenging.

"We have already informed Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli that cleaning the river at that location is challenging due to the squatters’ settlement. We hope the problem would be resolved as the PM has also given interest in keeping the river clean by managing the settlement," he said.

Cleaning the Bagmati is challenging at KMC ward 11 also because Rudramati and Ichhumati (Tukucha) rivulets, the tributaries of Bagmati, join the Bagmati in this area. These two rivulets are highly polluted. Although Rudramati looks somewhat clean compared to Tukucha, the bank of the Rudramati near its confluence with Bagmati is littered and stinking.

The Tukucha is heavily polluted and has been encroached upon at many locations. A committee has been formed for investigating into the land grab along the banks of the Tukucha by unscrupulous people. But this committee is dormant and has not been able to carry out its work for decades now.

Four metric tonnes waste removed at Tripureshwor

Meanwhile, the Bagmati river was cleaned in the vicinity of Tripureshwar area in the 349th week of Bagmati Cleaning Mega Campaign today. More than 350 ‘Clean Bagmati’ campaigners from 18 different organisations participated in the cleaning up. Four metric tonnes of waste was removed from the river as part of the cleaning today. Nepal Army, Nepal Police and the Armed Police Force personnel also lend a hand in the cleaning.

Similarly, the Bagmati river below the Gothatar bridge was cleaned today as part of the 311th week of cleaning the Bagmati upstream from Guheshwari. Fifty volunteers cleaned the Bagmati at this location.

Rudramati is still off the mark

The Rudramati rivulet, is still wide of the mark in terms of cleanliness despite the 301st week of Rudramati Cleaning Campaign. The Ratopul-Sifal- Kalopul stretch of the Rudramati river was cleaned today. Twenty-five youths volunteered in the cleaning up works.

The Bagmati Cleaning Mega Campaign was initiated on May 19, 2013. A campaign for cleaning of the tributaries of the Bagmati and the Ring Road area was also succeeded the Bagmati Cleaning Mega Campaign.

The cleaning campaign that started from the Kathmandu Valley has now expanded across the country. Cleaning is taking place at more than 105 places throughout the country at present.