KATHMANDU, July 22: Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) has resumed waste management operations in the valley after facing obstruction a few days ago. The residents of Sisdol in Nuwakot had previously halted garbage disposal due to the foul smell emanating from the waste.
According to the Solid Waste Management Association of Nepal (SWMAN), none of the vehicles carrying garbage from Kathmandu metropolis were able to reach the landfill site due to the obstruction by the locals. Around 30 vehicles carrying waste returned from mid-way while going to the landfill site. On Tuesday, the vehicles carrying garbage did not leave Kathmandu.
Earlier, there was a verbal agreement to cover the garbage dumped at the Banchare Danda landfill site with soil to control the stench, but the locals claimed that the agreement was not implemented as promised.
The protest in the form of halting waste disposal was led by Kakani Rural Municipality chair, Suman Tamang. He mentioned that the protest would continue until the locals' demands were met.
Sisdole landfill site packed; garbage collection after a week
However, the KMC's infrastructure advisor, Sunil Lamsal, had a different perspective. He stated that the local people needed to facilitate the acquisition of 3,000 Ropanis of land in the area to construct a new dumping site as the KMC couldn't accomplish it alone.
Rabinman Shrestha, the head of KMC's environment department, informed Republica that waste management work had resumed since yesterday. The metropolis has resumed delivering garbage to the landfill site at Banchare Danda. The involvement of police personnel has made the management process easier by helping to transport the garbage-carrying vehicles to the landfill site.
On July 19, a meeting between the Ministry of Urban Development and the affected locals at the Sisdol Landfill Site area ended inconclusively due to the non-participation of KMC representatives. Landfill site chief, Rabindra Bohora, assured attendees that he would engage in further discussions with the KMC to find a solution.
Dhanraj Bajgain, Ward Chairman of Kakani Rural Municipality-3, emphasized the need for further deliberations with all relevant stakeholders, including 17 local levels, including the KMC, scheduled for Sunday (tomorrow). Only after these discussions can a definitive decision on waste management be expected.
The dumping of garbage from Kathmandu had come to a halt on Wednesday, citing the non-implementation of an agreement reached last year between the KMC and the affected locals.
The waste from the Valley had been disposed of in Banchare Danda since 23 August 2022, after being dumped in Sisdol for the past 15 years. Following the halt in dumping waste in Banchare Danda by the local people, a writ petition was filed in the court.
On July 17, the Supreme Court issued an interim verdict, directing the local level not to implement their decision to charge fees to garbage-carrying tipper trucks and preventing them from disposing of garbage if they refused to pay the fees. However, the locals defied the court's verdict and halted waste disposal.
Officials from KMC's environmental department have assured that all the garbage piled up on the roads of Kathmandu Valley will be picked up within one or two days after the vehicles carrying garbage started arriving at the landfill site from Friday.
