Okharpauwa locals have been obstructing waste disposal demanding a written commitment from the government to fulfill their different demands since last week. “We couldn’t reach an agreement due to the irresponsibility of the government,” said Ramesh Prasad Paudyal, coordinator of the struggle committee.
Paudyal also said that the committee hasn’t asked the government for any money but has demanded development works be initiated at the land fill site in Okharpauwa. However, Paudyal said “the government is never serious about our demands”,and that they will not let KMC dispose garbage “untill the government gives a written commitment”.
Waste disposal has been obstructed time and again by protesting locals. The current obstruction has already seen at least 2,500 tonnes of garbage lying unattended in the Valley. The three cities inside the Valley generate at least 500 tonnes of waste everyday.
Rabinman Shrestha, chief of the environmental department at KMC, said, “Locals form a group consisting of three or four members, and come up with different demands every time to obstruct waste disposal, which has made it difficult for the government to fulfill their demands.” He said that there are at least two dozen such committees.
According to KMC, over Rs. 90 million has so far been invested towards the development of the Okharpauwa landfill site over the last four years.
Shrestha said a “trend” of obstructing waste disposal has developed among locals of landfill sites to pressurise the government to meet their demands. He said some of the demands may be valid to some extent and those need to be addressed, but the government should take stronger initiatives in finding an alternative to the problem.
The government is planning to develop Banchareydanda, between Nuwakot and Dhading, as a long-term solution for disposing the valley’s waste.
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