Clean Bagmati

Clean Bagmati

It is praiseworthy effort of all the concerned under the initiation of the High Level Bagmati Civilisation Committee (HLBCC) to clean Bagmati river as reported in “Clean Bagmati still a pipedream” (THT, 2 Feb. Page 2). It sounds funny but it is true that I used to hook fish in Bagmati back in around 2026 BS. I am not so sure whom to blame for converting this holy river into this pathetic stage. However, I think everybody residing along the river bank and the concerned authority including Kathmandu Metropolitan City Office and Water and Sewerage Department should be held responsible for this irresponsible and insensible act.

There should be stringent rules to be enacted to empower these organizations in order to enforce strict measures to punish the irresponsible people and household for throwing plastic bags and garbage. Every household erected on the river corridor should be strictly ordered not to flow the human waste directly into the river and asked them to construct safety tank. If anybody is found not abiding by this rules should be heavily fined and punished. Regular monitoring of these activities is needed to be made by the concerned authorities to ensure that all the individuals and households are sincerely abiding by the rules.

Also, the people should be repeatedly made aware of their responsibilities not to throw garbage and plastic bags into the river. Otherwise, every manual effort to clean Bagmati would go waste. For this, HLBCC and KMC have to play more proactive roles in materializing this noble thinking of reviving this holy river in its old glory by being more vigilant. I think the government should also be ready to compensate certain percent of expenses to be provided to the households those have been already erected and are planned to construct on the Bagmati corridor to construct safety tanks. If these steps are properly followed upon, the chances of saving this holy river from further deteriorating seem still high.

Rai Biren Bangdel

Maharajgunj, Kathmandu