Parsa, Nov. 1 -- Political parties, local governments, district authorities and other stakeholders in Parsa have agreed to work together to tackle pollution in the Sirsiya river, which has been contaminated by industrial effluents and other waste for decades.

A meeting on Saturday decided to prohibit industries from discharging untreated, chemically contaminated wastewater into the river and require them to operate their effluent treatment plants round the clock at full capacity.

The meeting, chaired by Chief District Officer Bhola Dahal and attended by Birgunj Metropolitan City Mayor Rajeshman Singh, adopted a five-point plan to manage waste and control pollution in the river.

Reviewing previous decisions and efforts to clean up the r...