The clean up project in the Kathmandu Durbar Square has been running with the active participation of the people of the local community since last year, which is implemented under the Grant Assistance for Grassroots Project (GGP) Scheme of the Government of Japan. This project was jointly formed with KMC and the Community Environment Development Committee.

The main objective of this pilot project is to improve the environment of the Square and its adjacent areas. Under this Project, three major activities - solid waste management, infrastructure development and public awareness activities or education programs, will be carried out in order to improve the environment including beautification of the project area, and to provide basic services to the local and business communities and tourists.

The Project launched a campaign to create public awareness on their rights and responsibilities towards their City on the matter of clean and healthy environment. As one of the first basic steps to encourage people to reduce and recycle their waste at source, they organized a two-day household composting training to the interested citizens of the area.

On March 31, 2001, a Certificate Distribution Ceremony was held to present certificates to the participants of a two-day household composting training. Takamichi Okabe, Charge d' Affairs of Japan, presented the certificates to the participants. On the occasion, he praised the sincere efforts in learning the household composting process, emphasizing that self-help efforts of the community helps to lessen their own surrounding problems. He added that this type of program will encourage the community to understand their importance in the development and the well being of their own community through realizing their responsibilities.

In executing these project activities, the Project will supply and install enough numbers of street dustbins and mobile dustbins to collect pedestrian waste from the project area. Similarly, the Project will also supply dustbins to provide door-to-door waste collection services. Two waste transport vehicles will also be procured to materialize the effective management of the waste from the project area.

The project will also work closely with local schools to involve students in the process of environment improvement. The project will organize orientation programs in each school and then encourage students to form nature clubs in each school to implement school-level programs. Schools will be encouraged to recycle their waste.

It is expected that this project will further improve the present environment of the Kathmandu Durbar Square and its adjacent areas thus encouraging tourism as well as other business activities in Kathmandu.