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
