Despite the increase in the amount of waste in urban areas, work to find long-term solutions for its management has not progressed.
What you should know
In the absence of a permanent dumping site in Amargadhi Municipality, garbage has been dumped for years near Amargadhi Park near the district headquarters. As most of the municipality's garbage is stored at this temporary site, local residents are forced to endure the problem of stench and pollution. Despite the increase in the amount of garbage in the municipal area, work to find a long-term solution for its management has not been able to move forward.
Nar Bahadur Tamoli, a local from Malam village, says, "When garbage is placed near the road where people travel daily, the stench increases so much that it becomes difficult for locals to even walk." According to him, the municipality has been searching for an alternative site for years, but no concrete decision has been implemented, but the problem remains the same. He said that the dumping site should be removed from this area immediately.
The garbage collected daily from the main market areas such as Bagbazar, Tufandada, Kirtipur and Khalanga is now piled up near the road leading to Malam village. Although the municipality has been collecting garbage from house to house, due to lack of proper management, all the collected garbage is dumped in the forest area near the market. According to local Surat Tamoli, despite several protests and initiatives, the municipality has not been able to take any effective steps to remove the dumping site. He said that although the all-party discussion held in 2080 Pus decided to manage a new site within three months, the work has not progressed.
Amargadhi Municipality has been depending on the temporary dumping site for years. Earlier, garbage was dumped in the cesspool of Amargadhi-7. But after complaints from the locals increased, the municipality was forced to look for a new place. Then, temporary garbage was started to be dumped on the side of the road leading to Malam village, 2 km away from the district headquarters. But since this area was also not suitable for a long-term solution, the municipality has now searched for a permanent dumping site.
According to Amargadhi Municipality Information Officer Minraj Ojha, although preparations are being made to build a permanent dumping site, the work has not been able to move forward due to dissatisfaction and obstacles from the locals. According to him, land has been purchased for the construction of a dumping site in Guilegada of Amargadhi Municipality-6.
The locals of Guilegada have formed a struggle committee and are protesting against the construction of the dumping site. According to Ganga Tamrakar, coordinator of the struggle committee, the locals were informed late about the construction of the dumping site and since there is a dense settlement nearby, this area is not suitable for waste management. He said that he has been urging the municipality to find other alternative sites as dumping waste near human settlements increases health risks. According to him, the locals have collected signatures and submitted a memorandum to the municipality, division forest office and district administration office.
According to Gagan Singh Bhandari, head of the district coordination committee, 14 ropanis of land has been purchased from locals in Guilegada, Amargadhi-6 for waste management. The land purchased in Guilegada was taken at the government rate and an environmental impact assessment has also been carried out. However, the process has not been able to move forward since the environmental impact assessment report has not been received.
Currently, all types of waste, both rotting and non-rotting, are piled up in one place on the roadside leading to Malam village and burned, causing smoke, stench and air pollution. After the process of constructing a permanent dumping site has failed repeatedly, sustainable waste management is a major challenge for Amargadhi municipality. Locals demand that the people's representatives and concerned bodies of the city coordinate and find a long-term solution.
