KATHMANDU, MARCH 15

Locals residing around Bancharedanda landfill site, the only site where the valley's waste is managed, have asked the federal and local governments to fulfil their demands by mid- May, else they will be forced to stop dumping at the site.

Last year, people living around the landfill site had for months obstructed vehicles ferrying Kathmandu's waste into the landfill site. In the peak monsoon time, not a single truck was allowed to enter the landfill site for almost a month.

This had filled the roads of Kathmandu valley with piles of garbage. Following stern protest, the government had agreed to fulfil their demands by mid- May.

The locals, who reiterating that the government had cheated them on earlier occasions, have this time sent a letter to the Office of Prime Minister, Ministry of Urban Development, and Kathmandu Metropolitan City reminding them of their promises.

In the letter, Bancharedanda Landfill Site Affected Area Concern Committee, has warned that if the government fails to initiate any ground work to either make the landfill site free of human settlement or make the area waste-free, they will be forced to stop all solid waste management there from May 15 onwards.

'All the people have right to live in a clean environment. But, we are devoid of the right due to the apathy of the government and private vendors that dump waste here. The probability of human catastrophe in the near future is high the government continues to turn a deaf ear to our demands. Thus, we want to draw the serious attention of all the authorities concerned to start working on the previous agreements,' the letter reads.

The Bancharedanda landfill site had come into operation only last year after a month-long hiatus.

Earlier, Sisdol landfill site in the same area was in operation for over 20 years. The Sisdol site was a temporary landfill site and the authorities had acquired the land for two years. However, the government eventually dumped waste for 20 years without following any scientific procedure.

Initially the Sisdol site had a deep valley-like structure which later turned into a massive mountain of garbage.

Fearing the same fate at Bancharedanda, which is supposed to hold the waste of Kathmandu valley for 100 years, locals have been demanding that the government identify the actual area affected by the landfill site and acquire that land.

A version of this article appears in the print on March 16, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.