RAMNAGAR: Local conservationists were joined by domestic as well as foreign tourists to clean up the protected zone in and around Sauraha of Ratnanagar in Chitwan district, on Tuesday.

Domestics tourists from various districts in Nepal along with tourists from Germany, England, France and the US joined the locals to clean-up solid wastes in and around the Dhungre Khola area, which falls under the buffer zone of Chitwan National Park.

Waste management is essential to maintain the nature and save ecology, said Aana, a tourist from Germany while expressing  happiness over being able to join the cleaning campaign.

A group of teachers and students from Victor Hugo Manjushree School in Budhanilakantha, Kathmandu, who were on an educational tour, also joined the campaign.

Locals have been organising waste collection campaign for the past week. More than four tractor-loads of solid waste has been collected and managed so far, informed conservationist and hotel proprietor Shir Lal Pariyar.

According to Pariyar, accumulating waste in the buffer zone brought by Rapti River and its subsidy rivers, which was affecting the wildlife and their habitat, prompted the waste collection campaign in the area.

During the campaign, plastic and glass bottles along with discarded cloth pieces accounted for the majority of collected waste.