The efforts of Madhyapur Thimi residents at reducing contamination in Hanumante Khola by establishing a wastewater treatment plant has not only addressed the water requirements of a local school but has also reduced the possibility of landslides there. In addition, the plant has helped decontaminate sewage from 81 households, recycle the treated water and maintain sanitation in the toilets. What is dumped into the streams down the drains is not sewage, but treated wastewater. The plant is a pointer to the fruitful efforts of the local community. But such a small initiative cannot clean up all the streams and rivers. The efforts of all communities and factories should be geared towards this end.

This time when water shortage is acute, treatment of water becomes a matter of immense significance, quite apart from keeping water pollution at bay. Take, for instance, the rivers and water courses in the Kathmandu Valley. As there have been no legal or administrative restrictions on dumping waste into water sources, the once clean waters of Bagmati and Bishnumati are now running sewage. Some households and factories have even connected the drains directly to Bagmati and other water courses, with impunity, of course. This is because the government has hardly ever been serious about stopping defilement of water sources. Occasional spurts of activity and day-long Clean Up Bagmati/Bishnumati Campaigns cannot yield concrete results. Regular efforts at various levels with a long-term view are indispensable.