Kathmandu, February 17        

The Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development has directed Kathmandu Metropolitan City, sub-metropolitan cities and municipalities to submit to the Environment Management Section of the MoFALD their progress report regarding implementation of an eight-point decision taken on September 23 last year.

The decisions require municipalities to segregate and collect degradable and non-degradable waste from the source, publish terms of references about waste disposal site, inspect and monitor waste collection and disposal, and manage pond and other sources to respond to fire in municipalities that have fire engine.

An official said the local bodies were asked to submit their progress report following public complaints against poor implementation of the decisions in urban areas, mainly the Kathmandu Valley. The ministry had directed local bodies to curb the trend of dumping construction material on roads and footpaths by bringing to book anyone one found guilty of such act.

Chief District Officer of the concerned district may impose a fine ranging from Rs 10,000 to 50,000 or award a jail sentence of up to three months or both to an offender under Section 30 of the Solid Waste Management Act, 2011. But local bodies hardly been filing complaints against such person or organisation at the DAO.

According to ministry officials, local bodies have been directed to catch erring house owners and builders. It follows the alert of traffic police to government authorities about all-pervasive encroachment of roads and footpaths and threats it poses to safety of pedestrians and motorists.

If people dump building materials on the roads for more than 24 hours obstructing free mobility of pedestrians or vehicles, the concerned local body may remove such stuff with the help of the police and initiate action against the guilty, said the ministry official.

The ministry has also directed the local bodies to make people aware of the punishment for dumping construction material on roads.