The Pharke-Bulaudi Extensive River Clean-up Campaign started today aiming to put an end to the pollution and rampant human encroachment. Chief Secretary, Dr Somlal Subedi, inaugurated the clean-up campaign and insisted on enhancing the beauty of the scenic city of Pokhara. He added that the residents of other cities should also enact the campaign run by the ‘Pokhareli people’ to end pollution and keep the rivers clean. Bagmati Clean-up Campaign’s campaigner and former Chief Secretary, Lilamani Poudel, administered oath to all those present at the launch of the campaign by making them repeat ‘If we don’t clean up who will, if not now then when’. The clean-up campaign has started from Andherikunna area of the Pharke river located at Pokhara – 26, and will continue for a kilometre today. With participation of around 7,000 Pokhareli people seven truckloads of garbage were scooped up from the river, said Campaign Coordinator, Ram Bahadur Poudel. Due to the plastic items and other garbage which flows through the river, around 10 ropanis of water area in Gaighat, the dam site of Fewa lake, has turned into an island while the nearby Rani forest has been encroached. To avoid the seeming catastrophe, 65 organizations and associations held an extensive meeting and formed a 15-member Pharke-Bulaudi River Civilian Concern Committee. The clean-up campaign will be run in Pharke river for 10 weeks before moving on to the Bulaudi river for the same.