Until a few months ago, Kathmandu Valley denizens would walk past the Bagmati River covering their noses. These days, the river has undergone a makeover of sorts and the credit goes to the ‘Bagmati Cleaning Campaign’, which completed its 30 weeks today. Fighting all odds, the campaign that began on May 18 has instilled hope among people that seeing a clean Bagmati flow by is possible. Due to the relentless effort put into cleaning up the Pashupati area, it has succeeded in making it look cleaner than before. According to the campaigners, 90 per cent of river cleaning work has completed along the Guheshwori-Minbhawan section till now. Dying factory and catering centres near the Pashupati Temple have stopped releasing waste materials into the river. Security agencies have been working to stop the discharge of waste into the river at other points as well, according to campaigners. Chief Secretary Lila Mani Paudel, who is part of the campaign, said he was overjoyed to see such results. “The pleasure which we have got in these 30 weeks and in 90 hours of work is incomparable. But still we have a lot to do,” he said, addressing people gathered near the Baneshwor Campus to mark the 30th week of the campaign today. “The campaign will continue until there is totally clean running water in the river,” he said. Today, around 1,500 people from 30 organisations got involved in the cleanup. The team, which included the chief secretary, cleaned the area from the campus to Tilganga, removing solid waste and urging all not to dump garbage into the river. Over the past 30 weeks, campaigners have been cleaning the river every Saturday. Everybody from high-ranking government officials to school students, security personnel and even private sector employees throng to help clean the Bagmati. Chief Secretary Paudel has been motivating people with his participation in the campaign. “I was absent once during Dashain. I think, if I do not come here regularly, our government officials will not be as active as they are now. I will be part of this drive until the project achieves its goal,” he said.