Kathmandu residents haven't given up on Bagmati yet. Rather than screw up their noses and ignore the rising piles of garbage on the banks of the Bagmati, a group of locals have come together in a campaign to revive the spirit of a largely cynical population. Sixty Friends of Bagmati got together last week to clean up the area around Kalopul, Teku. They believe it is possible to not only reverse the degradation of the Bagmati River, but to restore it to its former glory. The Friends, who aim to raise awareness among the locals about the plight of the river and encourage local people to take positive steps in reviving the river systems in the valley, collected two truckloads of rubbish, plastic and bio-degradable waste, with equipment provided by the Kathmandu Metropolitan City. The Friends also plan to clean up the Teku-Thapathali area which covers approximately a 2-km stretch of riverbank and temples.