Various organisations, club members and volunteers who have long been involved in the Bagmati Mega Clean-up Campaign on Saturday felicitated former chief secretary and newly appointed Ambassador to China Leela Mani Paudyal, the initiator of the campaign.

Paudyal is set to fly to China to take up his new assignment as the ambassador. Now onwards, former secretary Kishore Thapa will take the campaign forward, said Narayan Shrestha, board member of the High-Powered Committee for Integrated Development of Bagmati Civilisation (HPCIDBC). 

The HPCIDBC, which works under Ministry of Urban Development, Nepal Police, the Nepal Army and other organisations handed over letters of appreciation to Paudyal at a programme organised in Guheshwori. 

The Bagmati Mega Clean-up Campaign, which was initiated by Paudyal on May 18, 2013, reached its 183rd week on Saturday. 

Saturday’s river cleaning-cum-felicitation programme saw over 400 people from different walks of like. 

Around six tonnes of solid waste was extracted from the river, according to Rabin Man Shrestha, chief of the Environment Department at the Kathmandu Metropolitan City.  

EU Ambassador Rensje Teerink, Pashupati Area Development Fund Member-Secretary Govinda Tandon and parliamentarian Rameshower Phyual also participated in Saturday’s clean-up campaign.  Meanwhile, marking the 142nd week of Dhobikhola Clean-up Campaign, volunteers extracted solid waste from the river between Siphal and Setopul. Saturday also marked the 116th week of the Bishnumati Clean-up Campaign.