Rapid urbanization in Golanjor Rural Municipality has led to severe waste management problems, particularly with plastic bottles and waste being found everywhere. This plastic waste was at risk of leaking into the Sunkoshi River, threatening the environment and local ecosystems.

CREASION Nepal, in collaboration with Golanjor Rural Municipality, Youth Cohorts, the Armed Police Force, Nepal Police, Traffic Police, and other stakeholders, launched a river cleanup campaign under Project CAP (Collaborative Approach for Preventing Plastic Leakages in Rivers) as part of the PLEASE (Plastic Free Rivers and Seas of South Asia) initiative.

On June 1, 2024, over 134 people participated in the cleanup campaign in Khurkot, Golanjor-7. The campaign successfully removed 24,575 kg of waste from the riverbanks and waste hotspots. The waste was transferred to a proposed landfill site using a loader, an excavator, and two trippers (20 trips, each carrying 1.2 tons of waste).

According to Ujjwal Upadhay, team lead for project CAP, as part of this project, we all gathered in Golanjor-7 to begin the river cleanup activity because we are supposed to conduct at least 12 river cleanup campaigns together, one in each of the seven municipalities that signed a Memorandum of Understanding with us covering our project area.

“In collaboration with Golanjor Rural Municipality, we transferred 24,575 kg of waste from the riverside to a new landfill site using a loader, excavator, and two trucks (20 trips, each carrying 1.2 tons). The CAP project facilitated access to the new site, and the remaining waste was managed at the previous hotspot with standard methods.

“The cleanup campaign at the dumping site was chaotic, but the area has now been fully recovered and cleaned,” said Upadhay.

Aanand Mishra, founder and president of CREASION, emphasized the importance of individual responsibility in conserving natural resources. “We shouldn’t rely solely on external motivation or funding for nature conservation. This commitment should come from within to ensure a better future for Nepal.”

He added, “Our actions today impact our environment for future generations. We must ensure a cleaner environment for ourselves and our community.”

Shankar Baral, chairperson of Golanjor Rural Municipality, stated, “CREASION is assisting us with our work. Golanjor faces severe waste problems due to rapid urbanization. We are committed to helping CREASION keep Nepal’s rivers clean through collaboration.”