Bagmati River Restoration Blog: The human chain badged the 100th Bagmati Clean Up Campaign

"We would keep the Bagmati clean,”

“We would not dump garbage in the Bagmati”

“We would not allow anyone to defile the Bagmati”

The slogans reverberated at the 100th Bagmati Clean Up Campaign all over banks of Bagmati river this saturday. The day is marked by forming human chain along 28^th Km stretch of the river from Gokarna to Chovar where volunteers stood in long human chain to show their unity to improve the river environment. The human Chain along river symbolically represents prohibiting polluters from reaching the river.

Aerial view of the human chain at the 100th Bagmati Clean Up Campaign

The aerial view of Human Chain at Sundarijal

Local Newari women in Traditional dresses showing their solidarity to the Cleaning Campaign at Gusingal

Over 2,20,000 people from all walks of life including marked politicians, bureaucrats, artists, scholars, students, civilians and business community took part in the human chain to show their solidarity to preserve the degraded river.They sang the National Anthem and took oath to keep the river clean.

Bankers at the campaign( Cresit: LP. Bhanu Sharma)

Bagmati Clean Up Campaign has been a unique Clean Up drive with massive public involvement. Participation of volunteers from all backgrounds has made the campaign socio-environmental cause to preserve the glorious river.

The government and organisers have made special transportation arrangements for people willing to participate in the event from 5:30am-7am. The buses with the banner reading ‘Bagmati Cleaning Mega Campaign (100th Week)’ picked up those who want to participate in the cleaning from Kalanki, Ekantakuna, Satdobato, Lagankhel, Ratna Park, Swoyambhu, Balaju, Gongabu, Narayan Gopal Chowk, Surya Binayak, Duwakot, Sankhu and dropped them near the banks of the holy river in Balkhu, Tripureshwor/Thapathali, Shantinagar/Tilganga, Gaurighat/Narayantar, Attarkhel/Gokarna and Sundarijal.

The participating mob before UN park at Thapathali

Although the campaign is at morning time, excitement could be felt in the volunteers with the sincerity in the dresses, the music and the hospitality. Each volunteers could be seen smiling and welcoming each other to join the chain.The Love for river could be seen in the volunteers.

Traditional Newari Music to hearten the Campaign at Teku

Group Photoes: Proud moments at 100th Bagmati Clean Up Campaign

Drinking Water for the volunteers

Not only the participating volunteers, the clean up mob attracted interests of those who have indeed significant roles to reduce the pollutant loads at the lap of the Bagmati. A women has undeniable roles in managing shaping and organizing a family. Since the major source of pollutant of the Bagmati river is the household wastes, inspiring women to manage household wastes by reduce, reuse and recycle can help reduce the wastes at the source and hence meet the campaign motive.