Bid to improve chaotic capital city

Bishnu Prasad Aryal
Kathmandu, September 4

The Ganesh Man Singh Memorial Academy has come up with a holy and small but noteworthy step to improve the society and the lives of people to be initiated at Constituency-8 of Kathmandu district. Twelve volunteer women are determined to change the society by stepping up to their doors to raise awareness of the community for the local development.

Kathmandu, the centre of Nepal, is getting no better, safer or cleaner place to live, said the 12 women in a unitary voice. “So we are dedicated to make the community involve in the betterment of their society,” they said, adding their name was not important but the deeds.

Volunteer Jyotshna Sindurakar, a local of KMC Ward No 25, said that they had visited the people of Kathmandu Metropolitan City Wards 15, 19, 23, 24, 25 and Sita Paila VDC in the constituency. “Two wards are yet to be visited,” she said.

They go to the people, collect the problems and suggestions given by the locals on garbage problem, drinking water, security, electricity and roads. Each of the people is forced to live up amidst rising insecurity, failing public utility services, increasing pollution, worsening traffic and growing modernisation, they said. “Eighty per cent of the people are excited about the campaign.”

‘Wake Up Kathmandu’, an initiative under the GMSMA aims at improving the lifestyle of capital denizens and their access to public services. “We inspire the people to begin any works from ourselves,” said Sindurakar. “We want them to form committees in the community level to make the drive successful.”

Constituent Assembly member Nabindra Raj Joshi, leader of the GMSA said the participatory approach involves the public-private and civil society partnership, centralised on safety and security, livelihood and public services, health and hygiene, environment and aesthetics, and culture and tradition.

The pilot project would be formally inaugurated on the day of the Ghatasthapana on September 19, which will be eventually extended citywide within five years with the active involvement of the key stakeholders and enthusiastic arena of people.

“We believe the sorry state of the city can be corrected if we stand together and start doing something from today,” said Joshi. “We are only the facilitator and provide them training and technical support to encourage community.”

Joshi said that Rs one million has been allocated for the purpose now. “Among it, Ace Development Bank has contributed Rs 200,000,” he added.

Late Ganesh Man Singh was the heroic and leading political leader, freedom fighter and democratic hero in the history of Nepalese politics and democracy.