Nepal Government to Make Bagmati River Sewage-Free by 2020

Nepal government is now focusing on making the Bagmati River sewage-free by 2020. According to the Department of Water Supply and Sewerage, both sides of the river will be joined with the main sewage to prevent the drainage from mixing into the river.

Four upgrading waste water treatment plants in various areas will be functioning within two-and-a-half years. Apart from these plants, a water purification plant will be established at Khokana in Lalitpur.

Tej Raj Bhatta, Director General of the department, claimed that by 2020, all treatment plants will start functioning to stop sewers from entering the river. Project Implementation Directorate of Kathmandu Upatyaka Khanepani Limited will take the responsibility of constructing treatment plants and their upgrade. Asian Development bank will provide loan support for the project.

The ongoing Bagmati cleaning campaign has collected over 8,000 metric tonnes of solid waste from the river until now. The campaign was launched on May 19, 2013 and 740,000 people have joined the campaign till date.