KATHMANDU, Nov 15: Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) Mayor Balendra (Balen) Shah has accused the federal government of being uncooperative in the management of Kathmandu's waste.
He claimed that before his election to office, he had discussed many issues related to Kathmandu's waste management and shared his plans, but the federal government politicized the implementation of those plans.
Writing a long status on social media, he said, "The federal government focused on making waste a permanent political weapon rather than finding a permanent solution for it. They only continued to be uncooperative. There was also interference from the central government in our rights."
He wrote, "There was no proper methodology or law on how to collect and manage waste. We made the law and then focused on its implementation. But various kinds of obstacles were being created at every step."
Resolving Kathmandu Valley’s solid waste problems
He also mentioned that a sustainable solution to Kathmandu's waste problem is possible and that it is a right of the people of Kathmandu. He stated that the metropolis is on the path to solving the problem and, since there may still be obstacles, they will move forward without any compromise.
His status reads, “Before the elections, we discussed many issues regarding the waste management of Kathmandu and shared our plans. After being elected, we explored various options as per those plans. We looked at waste management systems in many countries, both old and new technologies, and met with hundreds of people and companies in Nepal. Our team visited places like India, China, and Japan. However, we found that the plan of the Indian city of Indore, which had faced similar issues, could be a suitable model for us. We also looked at its failures and learned from the improvements they made to achieve success.”
He added, “Whether it was the types of waste or the mindset of the community towards waste management, or the issues we faced in the past, Indore is a suitable model for us in many aspects. For the past year, we have been working closely with experts from Indore as consultants to implement their model of waste management in Nepal. A little while ago, when Prime Minister Dahal visited, he acknowledged that we could do something similar. Since then, many municipalities, other than Kathmandu, have looked at that model and are eager to implement it. However, there was no proper methodology or law on how to collect and manage the waste.”
The status further reads, “We created laws and began working on their implementation. However, various kinds of obstacles were being created. Despite this, we started pilot projects in some wards. The waste segregation process is successfully working in those wards, and organic waste is also being converted into compost. To find the right and sustainable solution, we followed legal procedures and called for tenders.”
KMC Mayor Shah wrote, “However, a company named NepWaste Pvt Ltd filed a case to create obstacles. This company had previously been involved in obstructing Kathmandu’s waste management. Using all the state resources, this company, which has been profiting billions illegally, always pursued its own interests. Even when Dahal was the Prime Minister and visited China, discussions regarding this company were held. There was a meeting, sponsored by this company, where a previous decision not to support them was overturned. I publicly disagreed with this and wrote on November 1, 2023, that my staying away from the meeting organized by 17 municipalities with funds from a private company was not intended to insult anyone. The politicians may have sold the whole country, but Kathmandu Metropolitan City is not for sale. Even if you sell the entire country, Kathmandu will stand as Nepal by itself."
Mayor Shah mentioned that another issue Kathmandu's waste management is facing, along with the obstruction from the company and neighboring municipalities, is the intervention of the federal government. Instead of focusing on a permanent solution for waste, the federal government has been more concerned with using waste as a permanent political weapon, continuously providing no cooperation. There has also been interference from the central government in our rights.”
Mayor Shah expressed, “Even though the federal government and neighboring municipalities have handed over the responsibility of waste management to the company, aiming to monopolize Kathmandu's waste management and prevent a sustainable solution, we are actively working to break this through legal means. For this reason, we issued a tender in accordance with the legal provisions to find the right and sustainable solution. However, a case was filed through NepWaste.”
Shah added, “But after the honorable court ordered that this authority lies with the KMC, a certain obstruction in Kathmandu’s waste management has been cleared. We have taken a step forward in sustainable waste management. There may still be obstacles, interventions, and political tactics, but we will not stop. We will inform once again that the days of politicizing waste are over. Therefore, we urge everyone to leave all kinds of tactics behind, set aside political bias, and support the work of the Metropolitan City.”
Mayor Shah said, “We are clear that a sustainable solution for Kathmandu's waste is possible. This is a matter of the rights of the people of Kathmandu. It is about justice for the victims of places like Sisdol and Banchare Danda, where waste has been piled up for years causing injustice. This is also an issue connected to the livelihoods of thousands and the pride of the entire nation. We are on the path to solving this problem. There may still be obstacles, but we will move forward without making any compromise.”
