KATHMANDU
With the aim to save the holy Bishnumati River — an integral source of civilization, culture and environment in the Kathmandu Valley — from dying out, a Bishnumati River cleaning campaign was launched on Wednesday.
Campaigners irked over persisting river pollution
The campaign, which will be conducted regularly on the last Saturday of every month now onward from 7AM to 9AM, is led by Jeevan Ram Shrestha, a member of the federal parliament. The first day of the cleaning began from the Shobha Bhagwati Temple.
Provincial Assembly Member Ashtalakshmi Shakya, Kathmandu Metropolitan City Ward 15 Chairperson and Kathmandu Metropolitan City Spokesperson Ishwar Man Dangol, Ward-15 Member Maya Laxmi Maharjan, activist Lilamani Pokharel and locals participated in the campaign, according to a press statement released by Shrestha.
The source of the River Bishnumati is near the entrance of Shivpuri Nagarjuna National Park in Budhanilkantha. The Bishnumati civilization, which is considered to be the origin of Bishnumati, extends from Bishnudwar Bishnupaduka to Teku Dobhan.
Speaking on the occasion, Shrestha shared, “This campaign not only belongs to Jeevan Ram but also to every citizen connected with the Bishnumati civilization. Bishnumati has been polluted and has affected religious and cultural activities. And it is the duty of every citizen to clean the river as the pollution of the river has directly affected the health of the locals around it.”
