KATHMANDU: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Urban Development Prakash Man Singh has announced that the government is preparing to introduce a concrete program aimed at cleaning the rivers of Kathmandu Valley.
Speaking at an event celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Buddhanagar cleanliness campaign, Minister Singh stressed the urgent need to stop the practice of mixing sewage into rivers, which continues to degrade the Valley’s waterways.
“To clean the rivers, the sewage discharge must be controlled. This is a priority,” he said.
The event marked 522 weeks of continuous volunteer-led cleaning efforts under the campaign titled ‘Let’s clean if we can, but let’s not litter if we can’, launched by residents of Ward No. 10 in Buddhanagar before the 2015 earthquake.
Minister Singh emphasized the importance of collaboration among stakeholders such as the Kathmandu Valley Development Authority and the Bagmati Civilization Integrated Development Committee. He called for a review of past investments that have failed to meet their intended goals, urging a results-driven approach moving forward.
He also commended the organizers and participants for their persistent commitment to cleanliness, describing the campaign as “a small yet significant light of positivity” in the community.
Former Constituent Assembly member Mohan Kumar Rai, who initiated the campaign, said the effort was born from a belief in the power of small, meaningful actions. Subash Rai of the Third Eye Youth Club echoed this sentiment, sharing that he worked for personal satisfaction without seeking recognition.
Social worker Saptaraj Bajracharya, who led earlier phases of the campaign starting from White Ganesh Sthan in Buddhanagar, thanked all participants for sustaining the movement over the past decade.
The event was attended by Bagmati Province’s Minister for Internal Affairs and Law Suraj Chandra Lamichhane, Nepali Congress leader Srijana Singh, and Congress Constituency No. 1 President Rabindra Bikram Rana, among others.
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