Kathmandu

Bagmati River gets polluted yet again; fish start dying

Bagmati River gets polluted yet again; fish start dying

By THT Online/RSS

Volunteers participating in the Bagmati clean-up campaign, in Kathmandu, on Saturday, May 7, 2016. Photo: THT

KATHMANDU: The fish in the Bagmati River that lived in the clean water above Guheshwori have started dying as pollution prevails in the river yet again. The campaigners of Bagmati Clean-up Campaign said so after witnessing such incident on the occasion of the 205th week of the Campaign today. Environmentalist Sagar Sigdel said, “The fish died in the river due to paucity of oxygen following the mixture of human excreta in the river.” Ramro Jorpati, Hamro Jorpati, and Pudasaini Maitri Samaj have been carrying out the Bagmati Clean-up Campaign in the region above Guheshwori for past four years on. The number of people bathing in Bagmati River in Jorpati area last year has reduced this year due to increased level of pollution. Chairman of Samaj Uttam Pudasaini said the human excreta and garbage are again mixed up in the river and people have stopped visiting the riverbank like before. Pudasaini said dead fish were found today while cleaning the river. On Saturday, a total of 30 metric tonnes of waste was managed from river cleanup in the valley and ring road cleanup campaign. Six metric tonnes of waste was managed from Bagmati-Manohara area on the 244th week of Bagmati Clean-up Campaign. Narendra Raj Basnet of High Powered Bagmati Cleanup Committee, singer Komal Oli, campaigner LP Bhanu Sharma, security personnel and others participated in the clean-up campaign. Likewise, the Rudramati river clean-up campaign entered its 199th week. Around 200 people joined the campaign today to clean the river along Ratopul-Maitidevi-Setopul-Rudranagar areas. Similarly, five metric tonnes of waste was collected and managed from Bishnumati river cleanup campaign that entered 172nd week today. Furthermore, 12 metric tonnes of waste was managed after the ring road clean-up campaign that entered its 40th week. Maiti Nepal Chairperson Anuradha Koirala, personnel of Nepal Army and Armed Police Force, Nepal and Nepal Police joined the campaign.