Kathmandu, June 5: Saplings of various species have been planted in the United Nations (UN) Park area along the Bagmati River on the occasion of World Environment Day.    

The saplings have been planted on the occasion of the 421st Bagmati Cleanup Mega Campaign which also coincidentally falls on World Environment Day today.

As many as 50 saplings of 'samba', 'kainyo' and 'sisau' species were planted on the occasion, shared Dr Mala Kharel, member of the High-Powered Bagmati Civilization Integrated Committee board of directors.    

As many as 40 campaigners, including Province Assembly member Deependra Shrestha, former chief secretary of Nepal Government Leelamani Poudyal, secretary of Ministry of Forest and Environment Dr Prem Narayan Kandel, High-Powered Bagmati Committee Chair Uddhab Prasad Timilsina, actress Deepashree Niraula, and actor Purna Bikram Shah were present on the occasion.    

Meanwhile, a plantation campaign has been carried out in different 60 areas today on the occasion of World Environment Day at the call of the Mechi Mahakali Cleanup Campaign.    

On the occasion, province assembly member Shrestha shared that a campaign has been devised to construct parks by exploring encroached public land.    

Forest Secretary Kandel said budgetary allocations were made for plantations across the country in the coming year.    

Likewise, a clean-up and plantation campaign has been done in Tokha municipality-9, Shiva Temple area along the banks of the river on the 354th weeks of the Bishnumati Cleanup Campaign. Different 30 saplings were planted on the occasion of World Environment Day today, informed campaign coordinator Shovakanta Pandey.    

Meanwhile, Diwas Bahadur Basnet, a water resources management expert, said that the Bagmati River is not restored any matter years of implementing the Mega Campaign because of a lack of a campaign to aware the people that they should not throw garbage and discharge their household drain in the river.    

As he said, the Bagmati has turned into a 'dead' river as the drain is directly discharged in the holy river at many places without treatment.    
"We started cleaning the Bagmati but did not carry out a campaign that we should not throw waste into it. As a result, there has not been much of a difference in making the river clean despite over a hundred weeks of the river cleaning campaign," he said.    

As he said, the problem is that we have not been able to change our old habits despite the knowledge that our habits are contributing to environmental pollution.