More than 40 metric ton of solid waste was extracted from major rivers of the Valley, including the Bagmati river, on Saturday.

Marking the 225th week of the Bagmati Mega Clean-up Campaign, participants on Saturday extracted and managed eight metric ton of solid waste from the Sinamangal area. Over 500 campaigners including security personnel participated in the clean-up drive which also saw an active participation of the members of the Tilganga Women Group. 

This was the highest amount of solid waste extracted from the Bagmati river on a single day in the past two months. 

On the sidelines of the clean-up campaign, the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, in coordination with the clean-up campaigners, collected relief materials for around 1,000 flood victims of Sunsari, Rajbiraj, Mahottari, Rautahat, Nawalparasi, Bardiya and Parsa.  

According to Umesh Bohara, spokesperson for the Bagmati Mega Clean-up Campaign, the relief materials included 25kg rice, 5kg pulse, 5kg beaten rice, 5kg soybean, one tarpaulin sheet, one carton of mineral water, 1kg salt, and 1 litre oil among other for each flood-hit family. 

A weekly Indramati River Clean-up Campaign was also launched on Saturday. The campaign started from Kalanki Janapath Higher Secondary School. Minister for Population and Environment Mithila Chaudhary inaugurated the campaign. The programme was attended by Kirtipur Mayor Rajesh Maharjan; Chief Secretary Rajendra Kishor Chhetri; former  secretary Kishore Thapa; Jyoti Kumar Shrestha, project manager at the High Powered Committee for the Integrated Development of the Bagmati Civilization; singer Komal Oli and other government officials, volunteers and ward representatives.  

A total of 16 metric ton of solid waste was scooped up with the involvement of around 2,000 people. 

Similarly, one metric ton of solid waste was extracted from the Rudramati river. Volunteers also raised Rs 32,084 and handed the amount to the FNCCI to help the flood-affected people. 

Likewise, two metric ton of waste was extracted from the New Bus Park area with the involvement of around 250 volunteers.  

Volunteers on Saturday also managed around 12 metric ton of solid waste at the Gongabu area.