Nepal River Conservation Trust in association with Friends Club Kupandole on Saturday organised the Bagmati river festival—Maha Jal Yatra—on the bank of Bagmati River in Kupandole to mark the 223rd week the Bagmati Mega Clean-Up Campaign. 

The event, inaugurated by culture expert Satya Mohan Joshi, drew people in huge numbers. 

Nepal’s Ambassador to China Leela Mani Paudyal, who initiated the Bagmati clean-up drive when he was the chief secretary of the government of Nepal, Minister for Energy Janardan Sharma, Lalitpur Mayor Chiri Babu Maharjan and Jyoti Kumar Shrestha, project manager at the High Powered Committee for the Integrated Development of the Bagmati Civilisation (HPCIDBC), among others were also present.

“Every country has its own civilisation that is linked with major rivers. This is same with the Bagmati river. Conserving this river and restoring it to its original pristine state will mean preserving our civilisation and culture,” said Joshi while inaugurating the event. “The Bagmati river is in a terrible state due our negligence. 

I am glad that people from different walks of life have gradually started to understand the significance of this holy river,” he added. 

The main attraction of the programme was rafting on the Bagmati river from Thapathali to Sundarighat in Kirtipur. “I am happy to see such a huge presence of people,” said Paudyal, who initiated the river clean-up campaign on May 18, 2013.

“If we take the responsibility of cleaning this river on our own shoulders then it won’t take long to achieve our goal.”

Lalitpur Mayor Maharjan expressed his commitment to do the needful to keep the river clean. 

Art competition, rickshaw ride, horse ride and photo and art exhibition among other activities were also organised. 

For rafting, organisers had set the ticket price of Rs 500. Visitors also lit the lamps and left in the river to flow in memory of those killed in recent Tarai floods.

Organisers said the proceeds would go relief fund for the flood victims.