Kathmandu February 16.

The 353rd week of the Bagmati Cleaning Mega Campaign saw the cleaning of the Aryaghat, Suryaghat, Ram Mandir and other areas of the Pashupati temple premises. The sanitation event was held in preparation for the upcoming Mahashivaratri festival. More than 300 people from 18 different organisations took part in the cleaning action that took place on Saturday, according to member of the Bagmati Civilization Integrated Development Committee. Executive Director of the Pashupati Area Development Trust Dr Ghanashyam Khatiwada also took part in the event. The PADT and other organisations had already been working to clean up the Pashupati area since the past week to welcome the great festival of the Hindhus, the Mahashivaratri. The cleaning action above the Guheswari is also focused to making the water in the Bagmati river clean. Meanwhile, a special function was marked to observe the sixth year of the cleaning of the Rudramati river. Speaking at the programme, former Prime Minister and NCP leader Madhav Kumar Nepal, former minister and NC leader Gagan Thapa and other lead campaigners spoke of the importance of the role of the locals in cleaning up the rivers in the valley. Saturday was also the 152nd week of the cleaning of the Manohara river and 132rd week of the cleaning of the Ring Road west section. The Bishnumati river, Tilganga bank of Bagmati and Sundarighat and the northern section of the Ring Road were also cleaned up yesterday.