TAAN organizes clean-up program in Shobha Bhagbati area

Trekking Agencies' Association of Nepal (TAAN) on Friday organized a clean-up program on Bishnumati River and Shobha Bhagwati temple premises on the occasion of World Environment Day 2015.

Office-bearers and executive committee members and TAAN staff members as well as representatives of member companies actively participated in the program. They picked up non-degradable wastages like plastic products, plastic and glass bottles and tin, among others, from the river and dumped them on garbage trucks of Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) for safe disposal. They also cleared bushes on the river bank and picked up trashes from Shobha Bhagwati and Indrayani Temple premises. The area is frequented by large number of Hindu and Buddhist pilgrims every day.

TAAN President Ramesh Dhamala, Senior Vice President Keshav Pandey, General Secretary Sagar Pandey, Secretary Pasang Sherpa, Treasurer Gopal Babu Shrestha and Executive Members Palsang Tamang, Gokul Sapkota, Keshav Raj Wagle, Vidya Hirachan and Meghanad Timalsina, as well as TAAN CEO Ganga Sagar Pant, among others, were present in the program.

Vidya Hirachan, who is also the coordinator of Sustainable & Eco-tourism Department of TAAN, said clean environment is a must for tourism industry. "By cleaning up the temple premises and the holy river, we are spreading the message that we should take proper care of our natural and cultural heritage sites," Hirachan said. "The theme of this year's World Environment Day celebration is of similar nature."

World Environment Day is being organized across the world on Friday with the slogan 'Seven Billion Dreams. One Planet. Consume with Care'.

TAAN has been organizing different programs every year to celebrate World Environment Day.  Last year, it had organized tea plantation program in Jalbinayak Community Forest in Chobhar.