WASH Forum March Series "Bagmati Movement: River festival to cleaning mega campaign"

Bagmati Movement: River festival to cleaning mega campaign

Group Photo on WASH Forum

Paschim Paaila in collaboration with ENPHO organized its 28^th series of WASH forum on ‘Bagmati Movement: River festival to cleaning mega campaign’ on 28^th March, 2014 at ENPHO Hall, Thapagaun. The objective of the discussion program was to share Bagmati movement as cleaning campaign and to highlight the role of youth towards environment conservation through such initiatives. Mr. Mausam Khanal, Executive Director of Nepal River Conservation Trust was the key speaker for this interaction program. Total 25 participants from different organizations, colleges and institution actively participated in the program.

Mr. Mausham Khanal on WASH Forum

Winner of Facebook Photo Competition Mr. Naresh Kusi

Winning Photo: “No fish, No dish: The livelihood
base of the Bhote community in the
 lowland Tarai rests almost entirely on fishing.
This little girl from Amaltari, Nawalparasi,
 has to get busy searching for fish with her family
 early in the morning. The rivers harbor
 fish and they depend on them for their living.
 Water is the foundation on which they sustain their life”

Mr. Roshan Chaulagain, Advocacy Coordinator of Paschim Paaila briefly introduced about WASH Forum and highlighted the program objective which was then followed by the welcome speech from Ms. Padmaja Shrestha, Senior Program Manager at ENPHO where she briefed the activities that ENPHO has been conducting including water quality monitoring and analysis of Bagmati River since 2011.

During the program, Mr. Mausam Khanal shared about the mega cleaning campaign which started from the early initiation of river festival in 2001. Mr. Khanal emphasized on the need for the conservation of Bagmati river, as it has high cultural value and also spiritual and emotional significance to Nepali people. The program formulated discussion on major problems for Bagmati being polluted, the initiations taken till date and the achievements gained and the activities to be undertaken in the future.

Mr. Naresh Kusi was announced the winner of the facebook photo competition which was organized during World Water Week 2014 on the theme ‘Water for Life’. Mr. Kusi was awarded with certificate during the program. 

Mr. Buddha Bajracharya, Network Coordinator of Paschim Paaila delivered vote of thanks to the resource person and to the active participants. Finally, the program concluded by appreciating the resource person with Token of love followed by feedback collection and a group photo.