KATHMANDU, JULY 21
The government has started disposing the garbage of Kathmandu valley with the help of security forces at Banchare Danda landfill site.
Today, the government took around 150 garbage ferrying trucks from Kathmandu to Banchare Danda landfill site with the help of the Armed Police Force and Nepal Police.
Locals failed to stop the garbage trucks at Sisdol after police forcefully evacuated the crowd.
"More than 100 policemen were mobilised after locals obstructed the disposal of garbage," said Spokesperson SP Sitaram Rijal.
Similarly, locals have said that police are now escort-ing garbage ferrying vehicles to the landfill site.
Garbage disposal was obstructed as local residents have been protesting since July 17 saying that the previous agreement had not been implemented and they could not live with the garbage.
"Garbage ferrying vehicles reached Banchare Danda after security personnel removed the agitating locals,"said Mitra Ghimire, secretary general of Waste Management Association.
Ghannath Bajgain, Ward No 3 chairperson of Kakani Rural Municipality of Nuwakot, said that despite the obstruction, police removed the locals forcefully.
"I wasn't there. However, there are complaints that police arrested the locals and took the garbage," Bajgain said.
Similarly, according to Sumitra Ghimire, a local, the police forcefully evacuated locals and took the garbage trucks to Banchare Danda.
Ghimire said, "When police threatened to arrest the men who came to protest, they retreated. Only the women could not stop them." She expressed anger saying the government has always been oppressing Banchare Danda and Sisdol residents.
Around 380 garbage ferrying trucks have been disposing Kathmandu valley's waste at the landfill site.
However, the trucks were stopped and 30 vehicles carrying waste had to return on 18 July.
Meanwhile, yesterday, locals created no obstacle when 20 trucks carrying soil for capping went to Banchare Danda.
However, after receiving information that locals would block vehicles carrying garbage, the Ministry of Urban Development sent the garbage trucks to Banchare Danda with police protection today.
It was getting difficult for the Teku transfer station as it had been five days garbage had not been picked up and Lalitpur Metropolitan City had issued a notice to the metropolis residents to manage the garbage inside their homes.
A discussion was also held with local residents of the affected area at the Ministry of Urban Development yesterday. However, a concrete conclusion could not be reached. Therefore, Kathmandu valley garbage was dumped with the help of security personnel today.
A version of this article appears in the print on July 22, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.
