CREASION under Project CAP, conducted a Green Circuit Marathon as envisioned in the implementation of the project. The chief reason to do so was to mobilise the VFC-youth cohort. However, it stood as the endeavour driving behavioural change in the entire local community and people participating in the activities regarding plastic waste management. The target of the marathon was to involve as many people as possible to halt the leakages of poisonous plastic pollution in the precious rivers.
It attracted participants from a variety of backgrounds, including young and old, local representatives, security forces, and marginalised communities. The marathon successfully made the participant realise that the change should take place at the grassroots level and that it is doable to manage the waste scientifically and socially if we work in a collaborative manner. So far, the marathon lasted for five days.
Day 1 of the Green Circuit Marathon was a huge success, giving us heads up for our further campaigns and works. “We started the morning with a spirited river cleanup at Golanjor Municipality, making a tangible difference right from the start,” said CAP project lead Ujjwal Upadhayay. “51 people from diverse backgrounds together collected 863 kg of waste in just one hour.”
Furthermore, a comprehensive training and workshop on Waste Smart Schools (WSS) was conducted at Jana Jyoti Secondary School, along with the signing of the MoU and the distribution of Waste Smart Kits, according to Training and Capacity Building Officer Palistha Manandhar. “We also travelled to Shree Kaushika Secondary School to replicate our efforts with another MoU signing and Waste Smart School kit distribution,” she stated. “Alongside these activities, we reached out to vulnerable communities, including fishermen and the dhobi community, ensuring their voices and needs are heard.” Day two started with river clean-up as we collaborated with local stakeholders, youth groups, and community members for the Bhabsi river clean-up in Bardibas.
The team successfully collected around 214 kg of plastic and related waste, confirmed VFC-Youth Cohort lead Narayan Adhikari. Additionally, Waste Smart Kits were distributed and training sessions on e-Library setup and usage were held at Shree Rastriya Secondary School, Pashupatinath and Shree Janata Secondary School, Dandatole. The CAP team then left for our new destination, Hetauda. On the third day, the marathon clean-up campaign of the Rapti river saw the participation of over 60 people representing various backgrounds, including youth groups, local communities, government officials, and security forces.
“We collected a total of 343 kg of mixed waste, including plastics, bottles, multi-layered plastics, organic waste, and other low-grade materials,” assured MERL specialist Larisha Dhakal.
Additionally, the team visited Amar Secondary School and Sramik Secondary School to formalise Waste Smart Clubs and provide training for setting up e-libraries.
Similarly, Day 4 of the Marathon started with the Narayani River Clean-Up, where 106 participants, including partners, youth groups, local communities, government officials, and security forces, collaborated to collect a total of 566 kg of waste. Later, the team visited Shree Chameli Madhyamik Vidhyala and Sajapur Madhyamik Vidhyala to establish Waste Smart Clubs and provide training on setting up e-libraries.
“We also got to meet and greet some of our vulnerable Majhi and Dhobi community members, who are our equal partners in this drive,” said GESI and safeguarding expert Manisha Bhattarai. The Five-Day marathon concluded successfully after the team reached Ichchhakamana and Gajuri Rural Municipality on the final day to clean the Trishuli river belt.
More than 150 people supported the cause, including youth groups, local communities, government officials, and security forces, and collected 218 kg and 378 kg of waste in Ichchhakamana and Gajuri, respectively, as per Project Associate Shamsher Tamang. As part of school engagement, the team visited Shree Adarsha Secondary School, Gajuri-1 and Sarva Shanti Secondary School, Kurintar-4, Ichchhakamana, to establish Waste Smart Clubs and provide training on setting up e-libraries.
This is just the beginning of our project, the CAP marathon to prevent plastic leakages in Nepal's rivers under Plastic Free Rivers and Seas for South Asia,” said General Secretary, Sujata Koirala. “Our endeavour is to inculcate behavioural change in people to prevent plastic leakages in our water resources.”
