I think everyone knows about Bagmati river of Nepal. If not too, I want to introduce it to you all. It is a holy river of Nepal which flows beside one of the greatest holy temple of Hindus, Pashupatinath. Many pilgrimage come to Nepal to bath in the holy river even if it is polluted.

Bagmati is also informally known as stinky river and is by far the most polluted place in Nepal. People have contaminated it with every kind of waste possible and there is no doubt that the most common one might be that infamous black plastics bag that is hard to miss everywhere you go. Discarded plastic bag is a nightmare because it does not rot or decompose and has toxicity with black colored polythene bags being the worst offenders. Even the drainage system is mixed in the river. People have not left any thing to be done to make the holy river unholy.

  However as we progress, efforts have been made to rectify the situation. From mid June 2009, a supermarket, Bhat-Bhateni has been promoting the ?Just Say No to Plastic Bags? campaign along with Kathmandu University and Newspapers like Nagarik & República. Customers wishing to use plastic bags will be charged Rs. 1 per bag while the environmentally friendly bag will be available for Rs. 15. The proceeds will contribute towards improving the environment. Use of black plastic bags has also been completely banned in the eastern region as an effort to make this eastern city clean, healthy and green. Municipality imposed a ban on the use of black plastic bags on the ground of negative effect on environment and human health. Municipality Executive Officer Yubraj Dahal said those defying to comply with the rule are liable to the fine of Rs. 200 and Rs. 500 to customers n sellers respectively. The municipality has mobilized its employees to discourage the use of plastic bags and has started confiscating stocks of black plastic bags from various shops.