Subject:

Dear Sir/Madam

As we know since 18 years, Women Environment Preservation Committee (WEPCO) is doing varied work related to environmental preservation in different organization and schools. It is our way of trying to help the country.

We are writing to you personals you will join us for a one week program starting on 24^th Magh and ending on 28^th Magh 2066 with the theme of “Plastic Minimization and Bagmati Conservation”. The program aims to raise student awareness about minimizing the use of plastic bags and encouraging the use of paper bags and working to educate them about Bagmati Conservation.

If you wish to be involved in the different types of competition we’re organising, we would kindly request you to register your participants before 22th Magh.

We hereby request the eco-club members to encourage the students to participate in the competition since we need your involvement and suggestion for the success of  this program. Information about the competition is sent along with this letter.

Thank you and look forward to seeing you there.

Bishnu  Thakali

President

WEPCO

Download

Please download Inter School Competition Programme here

Programme topics

Topics for different programs are outlined below.

1. Spotting competition

Orientation class will be on the same day.

2. Speech competition

Topics

Bagmati conservation and our effort

Waste management and your role

Plastic minimization

3. Quiz contest

Topics

Environment

Science and technology

Eco-club special/ Wepco

Current affairs

English

Sports

Entertainment

4. Dance competition

Topics

All cultural and Environmental related topics

5. Composting and poem completion

Demonstration of composting

Topics

Plastic

Bagmati

Environment

6. Art competition

Topics

Clean and green locality

Save the environment

Environment conservation

7. Eco-visit and essay competition

Topics

Climate change

Environment education

Note: Topic will be selected by participants on the same day by lucky draw method.

NTNC supported the initiative and WEPCO is grateful for their help. Before the camp could take place, several meetings were held in the Kupondole community leading to the formation of the ‘Kupondole Rajtritha Bagmati Sudhar Samiti’ which is coordinated by Bishnu Thakali of WEPCO.

On June 6th all community members, local police and local youth club members joined the clean up camp. Other contractors were hired to operate cleaning equipment and removed the waste in to the care of Lalipur Municipal Council.

Until July 2nd 10 people were working regularly to clean the area.

Why is this camp needed? Waste in the Bagmati river tends to build up around the bridge area, blocking the water and trapping more waste causing a very smelly, unheathly environment. This in turn encourages more waste dumping at this spot.

By cleaning up the mountain of waste, the river water is flowing more freely and the smell faced by local people is reduced.

Its hard to say how long the cleaner situation will last. Certain people are used to dumping waste there. However local people are much more aware of the situation and that even the banks of the Bagmati can be cleaned up.

“Until there is strongly implemented law about dumping,” says Bishnu Thakali, “this kind of clean up will have to happen frequently.”

As you next pass the Bagmati bridge, take time to notice the difference, at least while it lasts!

As part of WEPCO’s involvement in the local community, we teach skills that can help women from poor familes generate income. Yesterday we held a class in paper bag making, using the paper we make from recycling green-circle office paper.

This [KMC's] expensive system doesn’t include integrated SWM practices, such as waste minimization at the source of generation, followed by reuse of waste with possible substitution, recycling, decentralized composting, and finally deposit of residual waste. Instead, efforts in KMC have consistently prioritized land-filling even though facilities have been inappropriate and ineffective.

And he is right. The answers are in front of our noses, sometimes too literally. WEPCO has been promoting segregation of household organic and inorganic waste for many years now. It takes time, energy and creativity to mobilise people to change their view of waste. But when it works, it works well, sustainably and at low cost.

Read the full article here: http://www.nepalnews.com/archive/2009/others/guestcolumn/feb/guest_columns_04.php