Kathmandu, July 18

A study by a team of young scientists has shown that the water of the Bagmati River has improved as a result of cleaning campaigns.

A 10-member team of young scientists had conducted a study on the quality of water in the Bagmati River in April and May.

According to coordinator of the expedition Deep Narayan Shah, natural resource management specialist, IUCN Nepal team, the study found pH (potential of Hydrogen) ranging from 7.5 to 8.8 along the entire length of the river.

“Aquatic lives manage to survive between pH 6.5 to 8. This year’s study showed that pollution is gradually decreasing in the Bagmati River,” Shah told The Himalayan Times, adding, “This directly impacts aquatic life and those species that depend on the Bagmati River for water.”

The study has shown that the population of macro-invertebrates has increased by up to 10 per cent due to improvement in the quality of water.

Similarly, water species near the riverside area have also flourished. The study team found a group of two to eight fish.

Coordinator Shah said the positive change in water quality of the Bagmati River may be the effect of Bagmati River Clean-up Campaign and cleaning activities running upstream of Bagmati from Sundarijal to Chobhar.

The expedition was conducted to gather data on biological, hydro-morphological and physio-chemical parameters along the length of the Bagmati River in Nepal. Remaining analysis of the study is under way.

Previously, the Bagmati River Expedition 2015 had collected vital baseline data of 38 parameters at sites along the length of the Bagmati River within Nepal.

A total of 174 bird species belonging to 12 orders and 41 families were recorded during the expedition.

Pollution derived from anthropogenic sources in Kathmandu Valley is having an effect on 80 km to 100 km stretch of the Bagmati River.

Communities downstream have noticed the effects of the cleaning campaign but there is still a lot of pollution. Communities are also at some risk from flooding.