About this project

The "Sacred River and Community Forest Pond Conservation" project led by Ishwari Prasad Neure and Sudha Timalshena from Karunalaya Nepal (Compassionate Nepal) is a youth-driven initiative aimed at combating pollution in the culturally significant Narayani River at Devghat and restoring vital wildlife ponds in the Chitwan National Park buffer zone area. The Narayani River, a sacred Hindu, Buddhist site, suffers from immense pollution from ritualistic activities with an average of 1,000 daily devotees and over 300,000 visitors during every major festival like Maghe Sakranti, Srawan and the New Year, etc., also burying dead bodies and casting clothes and metal utensils into the river alongside pervasive plastic waste.

Simultaneously, key ponds in the National Park periphery, Batuli Lake, Rhino Lake and including the Ramsar-registered Lake Twenty Thousand are shrinking due to aggressive invasive species like water hyacinth (Jalkumbhi) and accumulating plastic debris, threatening habitats for wild animals.

This project will address both challenges by integrating multi-faceted solutions. We will organize large-scale clean-up campaigns and Waste Audit at Devghat area, engage devotees through workshops to promote alternative, eco-friendly rituals, and create a public art piece to raise awareness (SDG 13). We will also actively remove Jalkumbhi and plastic waste from the ponds, and explore producing local fertilizer (SDG 12) from organic waste in Schools. Our comprehensive approach aligns with SDG 6 (Clean-ups) and SDG 15 (Habitat Restoration) to create a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable environment for both humans and wildlife.

Goals and Objectives

Goals:

1. To significantly reduce pollution in the Narayani River at Devghat, a vital cultural and ecological site.

2. To restore the ecological health of critical ponds in the Chitwan National Park buffer zone and Surrounding areas.

Objectives:

1. To organize five large-scale clean-up events at the Devghat riverbanks, engaging over 200 volunteers and collecting an estimated 3,000 kg of waste.

To train 50 youth and 100 local community members on the dangers of water pollution and eco-friendly practices.
To remove invasive species water hyacinth and plastic waste from at least three key ponds, including Lake Twenty Thousand, within a 6-month period.
To create a community compost pit at Devghat to process biodegradable waste and potentially produce local fertilizer.
To collaborate with local religious committees to introduce and promote biodegradable alternatives for ritual items.
To create a public art piece from collected plastic waste to serve as a permanent educational monument at a high-traffic area.
Beneficiaries: The beneficiaries include the Devghat community, the hundreds of thousands of devotees, and the diverse wildlife of Chitwan National Park. They will benefit from cleaner water, a healthier ecosystem, and a more sustainable environment.

Sustainability: The project will establish a volunteer "River and Pond Guardians" group to continue maintenance and monitoring. By engaging religious leaders and youth, we aim to institutionalize new, cleaner rituals that will sustain positive change long after the project concludes.

Expected result

The expected results are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-Bound (SMART):

Pollution Reduction: A minimum of 3,000 kg of plastic and solid waste collected from the Narayani River and its banks at Devghat within 6 months.
Pond Restoration: At least three key ponds, including Lake Twenty Thousand, will be cleared of Water hyacinth and solid waste, resulting in a visible increase in open water surface area.
Community Engagement: Over 300 volunteers and community members will participate in clean-ups and workshops.
Awareness: A public art piece will be unveiled at a key location in Devghat, educating an estimated 10,00,000 annual visitors on the issue of plastic pollution.
Behavioral Change: A demonstrable shift in behavior, with a percentage of devotees adopting eco-friendly ritual practices as promoted by the project.
Fertilizer Production: A pilot-scale community composter will be established at Schools, demonstrating the potential for producing local fertilizer from organic waste.
Ecosystem Health: A noticeable improvement in the quality of the water and surrounding habitats in both Devghat and the wild ponds, to be monitored by our trained youth team.
Achievable: The project timeline and resources are sufficient to achieve the stated objectives with community and partner support.
Relevant: The results directly address the identified environmental issues and align with the grant's SDG targets.
Time-Bound: All activities and their associated results will be completed within the project’s defined timeline (e.g., 6 months).
Waste Audit: We are conducting a waste audit in Narayani River, especially in Devghat area and ponds. After completion, we provide an audit report to the local authorities and the Media.

Partners
About me / organisation
Sudha Timalshena and Ishwari Prasad Neure

Ishwari Prasad Neure – Project Leader
Ishwari is the co-founder of Karunalaya Nepal (Compassionate Nepal) and a Master’s student in Rural Development. He brings extensive experience in human rights, social justice, and environmental conservation. Ishwari recently served as Project Lead for Project CAP in Bharatpur under the Plastic Free Rivers and Seas for South Asia initiative, implemented by SACEP with support from the World Bank and UNOPS. He is also a Human Rights Observer with Amnesty International Nepal and has coordinated numerous community-based human rights education programs. With a background in both business and social work, Ishwari combines organizational management, advocacy, and grassroots mobilization skills. His leadership has consistently focused on empowering youth, promoting environmental sustainability, and advancing equality and inclusion in Nepal.

Sudha Timalshena – Project Leader
Sudha is also a co-founder of Karunalaya Nepal and is currently pursuing her Master’s degree in Environmental Science. She has strong grassroots experience in environmental advocacy, climate action, and youth engagement. Sudha has volunteered with CREASION’s Project CAP, focusing on plastic pollution prevention, and has coordinated with organizations such as the Jane Goodall Institute’s Roots & Shoots Program. She has also held leadership roles as a Board Member of Animal Rights Club Nepal, Co-organizer of Chitwan Animal Save, and an Animal Alliance Asia Fellow (2024). With expertise in environmental awareness, waste management, and program coordination, Sudha brings scientific knowledge, advocacy experience, and community engagement skills that are essential for this conservation project.

Together, Ishwari and Sudha represent a unique blend of academic knowledge, grassroots activism, and leadership experience. As young co-founders of Karunalaya Nepal, they are committed to mobilizing communities and youth to protect rivers, restore ecosystems and build a more sustainable and just future for Nepal.

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