Local residents of the Galchi-Maltar region along the Prithivi highway in Dhading have been, since a very long time, compelled to live in a stinking environment.

The region has become a dumping ground of solid waste produced by Kathmandu Valley especially the remains of the large number of buffaloes consumed by the Kathmanduties.

The locals have been long complaining about the problem but the authority concerned or those who have been making the region a dumping ground have yet to respond to their request.

We are finding difficult to stay inside our own house also due to the wastes thrown all over the village, says Sushila Khatiwada of Maltar. The region between Maltar and Galchi is being badly polluted and it has now become popular as the place to throw wastes including the carcasses of animal. If this continues, then the entire region will soon be engulfed by a dangerous epidemic.

Gopi Rimal, chairman of Bareni, Ward no-8, said the people of Sunar village have already fallen sick due to the dead animals thrown in the area. The economically backward people have taken to bed after not being to afford medical treatment. But the trend of dumping wastes continues. They have even thrown dead animals at the water sources, which has given rise to many diseases in the region.

The region, located some two kilometres east of Galchi bazaar is situated in a lonely place because of which people have been using it as a dumping centre, sensing no popular uprising against it, say the locals.

We request them (those dumping wastes) to not to do so, but they sometimes come charging at us, says Bir Bahadur Sunar of Sunar Tole. Hardware waster, glass powders and animal remains and carcasses are those that usually come here from the capital

The village is inhabited by only 25 households and this may be the reason why people chose this poor village as a dumping site for wastes produced by the rich people of Kathmandu valley, adds Bir Bahadur.

Truckloads of wastes arrive to our village and in case we try to protest it, we receive threatening in return. One can find many people saying this right from Galchi bazaar to Maltar. I am thinking of shifting my business after suffering losses to the polluted environment here, says Saroj Khatiwada, who runs a hotel at Maltar.