Locals have been obstructing the disposal and transportation of garbage in the Kathmandu Valley since Thursday, saying that the agreement made by the government in the past has not been fulfilled. After the garbage collection stopped, the garbage collected in the Kathmandu Valley has started rotting on the streets.
Locals of the Sisdol Landfill Site in Okharpouwa, Nuwakot, have obstructed the disposal of waste from the Kathmandu Valley. A meeting held at the Ministry of Urban Development to find a solution to this issue has also been inconclusive. Due to the obstruction in waste disposal, household waste in the Kathmandu Valley has started rotting on the streets.
Vehicles carrying garbage towards Sisdol have been stopped after locals obstructed them. Earlier, locals expressed anger that the 18-point agreement reached between the government and locals in 2079 was not implemented and obstructed the disposal of garbage.
The Ministry of Urban Development had held a discussion program with the locals to find an agreement on this. Although it was scheduled for 2 pm on Friday, the meeting, which started only in the evening, was attended by the secretary of the ministry, the chief district officer of Kathmandu, the chief administrative officer of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, the mayor of Dhunibesi Municipality, the mayor of Kakani Rural Municipality, local ward chairmen and locals.
The locals have complained that they were not able to meet the minister on this issue, but they were not able to meet Urban Development Minister Kulman Ghising. Meanwhile, the ministry has tried to contact Kathmandu Metropolitan City Mayor Balendra Shah (Balen) on this issue, but an official said that there was no coordination.
Kakani Rural Municipality Chairman Suman Tamang said that they had to launch the protest because the metropolis and the ministry had not implemented the 18-point agreement reached earlier. Kathmandu's garbage collection has not been completed after locals obstructed the disposal and transportation of garbage in the valley since Thursday.
'Even simple things like collecting garbage only at night and putting lights on the roadside have not been implemented,' said Chairman Tamang. 'We sat down for discussions after the locals demanded that garbage not be disposed of until all agreements are fully implemented. But we have not been given any solution.'
According to Tamang, locals have requested to find a solution to permanently manage the valley's garbage within the valley or elsewhere, saying that garbage and human settlements should not coexist. The locals say that they have had to start the movement again after repeated agreements with the government but no interest in implementation.
This time, they have made the relocation of settlements around the garbage disposal area or changing the garbage disposal site their main demand. They are saddened that the garbage from the garbage collection area has also affected the settlements in the river area.
The Metropolitan Police Chief says that the problem is due to the non-implementation of the works agreed to by the Ministry of Urban Development. He alleges that due to the central government, their garbage trucks are now having to stop on the road and the collection work has even been stopped.
The Metropolitan also said that it has requested the locals of Kathmandu not to manage garbage and not to throw it on the road until the problem is resolved. According to him, more than 50 garbage trucks are currently lined up at Bancharedanda.
