85th Bagmati Cleaning Campaign at Balkhu

बग्न थालिन् बाग्मती सुन्दरीभै हेर रमाई

स्वछतानै हाम्रो स्वास्थ जिन्दगीको हो कमाई !

एकता  हो ठुलो  बल  निरन्तरता  हाम्रो लक्ष्य

निरन्तरको कर्मले नै बन्नेछौ हामी दक्ष्य !!

                                                                        - जनार्दन अधिकारी

The Bagmati Clean Up Campaign at its 85th week mesmerised around Balkhu bride at today's fine morning. Over 1500 volunteers participated for the noble cause and reduced 20 tonnes of scarps from the river bosom.The participants demonstrated extraordinary patience to dip their hands in stinking fecal loaded water.

Crusaders cleaning the river

The river territory at Balkhu has been encroached by Squatter settlement or Sukumbasi since decades. The Squatters are slum dwellers settling on land without legal right, neither as tenants nor as owners. Technically, sukumbasi are people who do not own land anywhere in the country. According to Ministry of physical planning and works, the squatter settlement at Balkhu comprises of 296 households with population density of 1,300 person per ha with very poor basic livelihood facilities.

Volunteers cleaning around squatters

Pooh-pond from the squatters at the river bank

Noble resolution of improving Bagmati river started by handful number of aware  Nepalese citizens including right honourable chief secretary of Nepal, Lilamani Poudel' has advanced considerably. The chief secretary commenced that the Balkhu is one of the most polluted stretches of Bagmati river within valley. The river territory has been abused and was used as local dumping site since long time back. It received gallons of untreated filth and fouling scarps and the tireless drive has aroused civil consciousness to control further pollution of the river.

The volunteers cheered and danced in the victory of completing 85th crusade successfully.

Crusaders celebrating the victory

The 86th Crusade takes place in the same place next Saturday.

JAY BAGMATI