KATHMANDU: A public awareness campaign on dengue has been incorporated in the Bagmati River Cleanup and Ring Road Sanitation Campaign held today.

On the occasion of the 331st week of the Bagmati Cleanup Mega Campaign, the river area (towards Lalitpur) at Tripureshwor was cleaned with the participation of over 350 volunteers from 19 organizations.

According to High Powered Bagmati Civilisation Integrated Development Committee’s board member Mala Kharel, a home visit program was incorporated on the sidelines of a mega campaign to make people aware of dengue and its causes. They were urged to take preventive measures focused on keeping the environment clean. Now, dengue has appeared as a nationwide health issue.

Water collecting in the river banks and roadways provides a ground for the breeding of mosquitoes which cause dengue and the public were made aware about it, Kharel said.

Similarly, the Bagmati Beauty Concerned Forum cleaned the river at Gokarneshwor municipality-7.

Under the 285th week of Rudramati Cleanup Campaign, an area from Ratopul from Kalopul was cleaned with the participation of over 250 volunteers.  Two quintals waste was collected.

The 258th Bishnumati Cleanup Campaign covered the wards 8, 9 10 and 11 of Tokha municipality and a public awareness campaign against dengue was also launched in the areas on the occasion.

Volunteer Renuka Gurung said the ‘prevention of dengue’ was focused during the 128th week of the cleanliness of the Ring Road area towards the north.

Such types of cleanliness efforts were carried out in Aloknagar area of Kathmandu metropolis-31, in Syoyambhu, and in Tilganga, Guheswori, and Sundarighat area, in Manohara river and Godawari River in Lalitpur

The Bagmati River Mega Cleanup Campaign that had begun on May 19, 2013, has inspired the launching of other cleanup campaigns targeting several rivers and towns (over 105 locations)   inside and outside the Kathmandu Valley.