nvn news
Sat Apr 19 2025
As the Buddhanagar Cleanliness Campaign celebrates its 10-year milestone, the government has pledged to step up efforts to clean the rivers of the Kathmandu Valley.
The campaign, which has run for 522 consecutive weeks under the slogan "Let’s clean if we can, but let’s not litter if we can," has inspired thousands through its grassroots approach. What began as a small local initiative before the 2015 earthquake has now drawn national attention.
During a special event to mark the occasion, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Urban Development Prakash Man Singh announced that the government is preparing a new action plan to tackle river pollution in the Valley.
“To clean the rivers, the sewage discharge must be controlled. This is a priority,” said Singh, stressing that mixing sewage into rivers must stop if real change is to happen.
Singh also called for stronger coordination among government bodies like the Kathmandu Valley Development Authority and the Bagmati Civilization Integrated Development Committee.
Former Constituent Assembly member Mohan Kumar Rai, the campaign’s founder, reflected on the journey, saying the effort stemmed from a belief that small, consistent steps can bring about big change. Subash Rai of the Third Eye Youth Club, one of the campaign’s active members, shared that he volunteers not for praise, but for personal satisfaction.
Social worker Saptaraj Bajracharya, who led early phases of the clean-up from White Ganesh Sthan in Buddhanagar, thanked all the volunteers who helped keep the campaign alive for over a decade.
The event was attended by key political figures, including Bagmati Province’s Minister for Internal Affairs and Law Suraj Chandra Lamichhane, Nepali Congress leader Srijana Singh, and Congress constituency no 1 President Rabindra Bikram Rana.
The campaign, rooted in community spirit, has not only raised awareness about cleanliness but now appears to be influencing national policy.
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