UN Park turns into a garbage dump

Lalitpur, July 17

UN Park of Jwagal, Lalitpur is being used by the locals as a garbage disposal site lately.

The park was constructed to provide green space for urban residents, but locals of the ward 1, 2 and 10 have been dumping garbage collected in their respective wards inside the park.

“Haphazard disposal of garbage has polluted the park’s environment. As a result, only a few people visit the park these days,” said Dev Gurung, a street vendor near the park.

Green space in urban areas provides substantial environmental benefits. According to studies, trees can remove from the air as much as 15 percent of ozone, 14 percent of sulfur dioxide, 13 percent of particulate matter, 8 percent of nitrogen dioxide, and 0.05 percent of carbon monoxide.

Trees and the soil under them act as natural filters for water pollution. Trees also act as natural air conditioners to help keep cities cooler.

In addition, access to public parks and recreational facilities has been strongly linked to reductions in crime. “More than 50 visitors come to the park daily,” said Godawari Joshi, caretaker of the park.

A local said they were compelled to hire private garbage collectors as the municipality was not doing its job properly.

According to the Environment division at Lalitpur Sub-metropolitan City of Lalitpur, local groups had been given permission to dump garbage near the park area in 1995.

“We are planning to establish three transfer stations in Sunakothi, Sundarighat and Balkumari of the Lalitpur,” said an official at the Lalitpur Sub-metropolitan City Office.