PM TALKS OF BAGMATI RIVER CONSERVATION AFTER SHIFTING SQUATTERS FROM THAPATHALI ALONG BAGMATI RIVERTO A HISTORIC GHAT IN LALITPUR Kathmandu, 9 July: Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai has stressed the need of planned and collective efforts to protect and conserve the Bagmati river System, RSS reports. Inaugurating a 'Symposium on Issues and Challenges for the Conservation of Bagmati River System', today, the prime minister said the Bagmati river system has been affected in the absence of planned and coordinated restoration and environmental protection and conservation efforts. The programme is jointly organised by the High Power Committee for Integrated Development of the Bagmati Civilization (HPCIDBC), International Union for Conservation of Nature ( IUCN) and Asian Institute of Technology Alumni Association ( AITAA Nepal). The Bagmati river, one of the important river systems of Nepal with high cultural and aesthetic values, has almost turned into a dead river and a negative demonstration of sound urban sanitation system, said the Prime Minister. Although various national and international NGOs have been working for Bagmati river with a number of good programmes such as cleanup campaign, plantation and awareness programmes, these initiatives have not been adequate to produce physically visible and significant impacts, he added. Calling for implementing the Bagmati Action Plan (BAP, 2009- 14) with a new vision by HPCIDBC, the prime minister pledged to support and cooperate with the initiatives to protect and restore the Bagmati river. Also speaking on the occasion, Vice Chairman of the National Planning Commission, Deependra Bahadur Chhetri said the human civilization was begun and developed on the river banks. The concept of integrated river development was brought in with a view to keeping the rivers in the Kathmandu valley clean, he said. Likewise, Chief Secretary Madhav Prasad Ghimire said rapid urbanization, sewage disposal, unplanned human settlements and sand excavation are the main causes of the river pollution. The Committee has paid special attention towards conserving the Bagmati river system and its civilization, added the Chief Secretary. Likewise, Committee Chairman Mahesh Bahadur Basnet said that tasks of demarcation of river from Pashupati to Balkhu, and transplantation of saplings and constructing parks on the river banks will be carried out within the next two years. The Committee has devised a plan to construct water harvesting and processing center with the support from the Asian Development Bank to increase water flow in winter as well, he said. Around 150 participants including high level representatives from different government agencies, national and international non-government organizations, academicians, consultants, stakeholders from private sector and media took part in the programme. Paper presentations on 'Concept of Watershed Management of Bagmati River System', 'Encroachment Control and Defining River Alignment' and 'Conceptual Plan of Wastewater Management in the Kathmandu Valley' by experts took place during the programme. The objective of the seminar was to develop appropriate concept for making the Bagmati river system lively and valued by all. nnnn PEOPLE THRATENED AFTER DODA RIVER EMBANKMENT COLLAPSE Kathmandu, 9 July: The Doda River has swept away the embankment built in the access road at Bichphanta of Parasan-8 in Kanchanpur district, RSS reports from Kanchanpur.. The local people had built the earth filled embankment to protect the people of Wards. No. 7 and 8 of the Parasan VDC from flood risks. It was built at a cost of Rs. 450,000, by collecting Rs. 1,000 from each household and from VDC, said Convenor of the Embankment Construction Committee Kubernath. More than two kms of embankment had been built to protect the settlement from floods by using a dozer. "We are terrified by the collapse of the embankment" said a local Deependra Basnet. The river creates havoc each year in summer in the settlement. Locals had built it with their own initiative after there had been no hearing on the request to build a dam with the Peoples' Embankment Office and local bodies. Some 660 families are in high risk of flood after the collapse of embankment. nnnn