KATHMANDU; Claiming that the pledge to fulfill their demands was not translated into action, a group of people led by UCPN-Maoist cadre Bhavana Karki

disrupted garbage dumping at Aletar landfill site today.

According to the Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC), eight trucks, which were en route to the site to dump the garbage, were forced to return by the group this morning.

“They have threatened to continue disruption despite our attempts to settle the row through talks,” said Rabin Man Shrestha, chief at the Environment Management Department, KMC.

In the past also, garbage disposal was disrupted by the Karki-led group of Chhatre Deurali Village Development Committee-6 in Dhading district on October 4 and 5, demanding jobs to women and skill oriented training to local residents. The group had submitted an ultimatum to the government with an 11-point charter of demands eight weeks ago.

Their demands include carrying out development works based on the earlier agreements made 14 weeks ago with the Sisdole locals, making transparency and checking the earlier performances, providing an ambulance to the village, establishing health post and proper compensation to local residents. The demands were submitted by Karki, who had also presented signatures of 60 locals, to the Solid Waste Management and Resource Mobilisation Centre (SWMRMC) under the Ministry of Local Development.

“We agreed to send the team of technicians to monitor the drinking water project in the area today but they rejected it and warned of disrupting garbage disposal,” said Shrestha.

Dr Sumitra Amatya, General Manager, SWMRMC, admitted that implementation was not effected in time. “Now, this is the part of national politics to sort out the garbage problem of the Kathmandu Valley,” she added. “Three million people in the Valley will be badly affected if the garbage cannot be collected and sent out.”

About 460 metric tonnes of garbage is produced in the KMC and Lalitpur Metropolitan City everyday. It has

been disposed at Aletar of Sisdole area. The garbage disposal was disrupted for 56 times since 2005, when the Sisdole site began receiving the Valley waste.