Rupandehi, November 2:

Owing to lack of dumping sites, 48 out of 58 municipalities of the country have been dumping waste along the river banks, states a report prepared by the Ministry of Local Development.

The report was made public at a programme, organised by the Butwal municipality and the Public Health and Environment Promotion Centre, Kathmandu, in Butwal.

Seven municipalities across the country have been using public land and forest areas to dump the wastes. Submitting a working paper, Ram Charitra Shah, an environmentalist, said the wastes could be reused by applying modern technology.

Anandraj Dhakal, the acting officer at the Butwal municipality, said: “ For want of a a dumping site, the municipality has been forced to dispose of waste on the bank of the Tinau river.