Himalayan News Service

Bhaktapur, May 10:

Hundreds of people from the Tathali VDC participated in a rally today to protest the government’s decision to develop a landfill site at ward numbers seven and nine of the Tathali VDC.

The rallists, who walked a distance of four kilometres from Tathali to Bhaktapur municipality, submitted signatures of over one thousand people protesting development of the proposed landfill site to the executive officer at the Bhaktapur Municipality Badri Nath Ghimere, the Bhaktapur Chief District Officer and the Local Development Officer at the DDC.

“This site will directly or indirectly affect around one thousand households,” said Ram Chandra Basi, president of the Pratikar Samiti (Retaliation Committee) formed two weeks ago.

Students and local people had participated in the rally. They also chanted slogans like “We don’t need foreign dollars; With JICA’s money people here will die of cholera”.

Basi further said that the municipality has made some 20 decisions regarding the proposed landfill site and was preparing to launch the project soon.

According to locals the site would also affect people of Chittapole and Sudal VDCs, and ward numbers 1, 2 and 4 of Bhaktapur municipality apart from those in the Tathali VDC.

A brief protest programme was also organised in front of the municipality and they have a programme for tomorrow to submit copies of protest letters and signatures to the Ministry of Local Development and the Japanese International Cooperation Agency which has been conducting an extensive study on solid waste management in the valley.

The proposed landfill site situated at Tathali VDC-7 and 9 lies some 100 metres from the Faidhoka Primary School and the Devi Secondary School is only some 400 metres away.

“The land where the municipality has proposed for landfill site is very fertile and this is going to be destroyed once waste is dumped here,” Basi said.