Kathmandu, November 2: The obstruction that had prevented waste disposal at the Banchare Danda landfill site in the Kathmandu Valley for the past five days has been removed. Following the removal of the blockade, vehicles stranded on the road and those carrying waste in Kathmandu have begun moving toward the landfill site.
The obstruction was lifted after Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, Physical Infrastructure and Transport, and Urban Development Minister Kulman Ghising committed to meeting the demands of the local residents of the Banchare Danda landfill site.
Minister Ghising had assured the affected residents that past agreements and understandings would be implemented. He requested 15 days to carry out the agreed-upon actions and asked the locals not to obstruct waste disposal during this period.
To manage leachate, which had been raised as a concern by the local community, a committee comprising all relevant stakeholders under the coordination of the Ministry of Urban Development will be formed. Immediate operation of a pump to prevent leachate collected in ponds from flowing into rivers was also promised, although the pump is currently non-functional.
To address complaints about random dumping at the landfill site, a monitoring committee will be established, including one representative each from the Ministry of Urban Development, Kathmandu Metropolitan City, and the affected municipalities.
Minister Ghising also committed to providing the necessary lighting at the site for nighttime waste management and stated that lights would be installed starting Monday. He has already instructed the Executive Director of the authority and the head of the Nuwakot electricity distribution center to ensure this is done.
For scientific waste management, publicly identified lands for waste segregation will be made available to local authorities, with the necessary decisions to be approved by the Council of Ministers, Ghising stated.
Since determining the areas affected by the landfill requires data across all four seasons, completing the supplementary Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) will take some time, and he requested the local residents to understand this situation.
Minister Ghising said that after the EIA identifies the affected areas, the process of land acquisition will proceed accordingly.
For long-term waste management, legal obstacles in the process advanced by the Investment Board will be resolved with the participation of the Kathmandu Valley Mayors’ Forum, he added.
After local residents blocked waste disposal, Minister Ghising, along with Urban Development Secretary Gopal Sigdel, Chief District Officers of Kathmandu, Nuwakot, and Dhading, and the Executive Officer of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, visited the Panchare Danda landfill site on Sunday morning to resolve the issue.
The team conducted an on-site inspection of the waste disposal area and interacted with the Mayor of Dhuniveshi Municipality in Dhading, the Chairperson of Kakani Rural Municipality in Nuwakot, ward chairs of the affected areas, and local residents.
People’s News Monitoring Service.
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