The two days ‘Bagmati Mahotsav’ kicked off in Guheshwori to mark the 150th week of the Clean Bagmati Campaign on Saturday.

President Bidhya Devi Bhandari inaugurated the Mahotsav and appealed everyone to take initiatives to preserve the holy river and bring it to its initial state.

Before joining the Bagmati clean-up campaign with hundreds of other participants, President Bhandari also inaugurated Bal Udhyan (Children Park) in the area that spreads in six Ropanis of land.  

The clean up drive was initiated by former chief secretary of government Leela Mani Paudyal on May 18, 2013 during the tenure of Khil Raj Regmi - led government.

Addressing the mass, President Bhandari stressed using new technology for cleaning the river that has historical, religious and cultural significance.

The programme was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Physical Infrastructure Bijaya Kumar Gachhadar, the leading campaigner Paudyal, high ranking government officials, volunteers, Nepal police, Armed Police, students and 19 contestants of this year’s Miss Nepal.

“We participated in this drive for the first time and it has made us more accountable towards preserving the River and its civilization,” said Asmi Shrestha, one of the participants of the upcoming beauty contest.

Meanwhile, Gachhadar related the present pathetic situation of Bagmati with ongoing unhealthy Nepali politics.  “Like Bagmati clean-up campaign, we have to now go for political cleanup campaign as well,” he said.

During the programme, President Bhandari also handed certificates and prizes to the winner of inter school poetry and drawing competition on the theme ‘Mero Sapana Ko Bagmati’. Students from 62 schools of the valley had participated in the competition.  

Artwork of students, poetry, painting of 37 countries’ leading artists, photo exhibition and documentary on the very theme ‘Mero Sapana Ko Bagmati’ can be seen during the exhibition that will last till Sunday.   

Coming to the 150^th week, 7,000 metric tonnes of solid waste have been taken out from the river, according to the clean Bagmati campaigner High Powered Committee for Integrated Development of Bagmati Civilization (HPCIDBC).

Last year, over 60,000 people including politicians, government officials, NGOs, INGOS, school and college students and people from various walks of life had formed a human chain in the 58- kilometre- stretch starting from Sundarijal to Chobhar under HPCIDBC to mark the 100^th week of the campaign.