Not again

The management of garbage in the capital city has proved to be a hard nut to crack. Every day about 460 metric tones of garbage is produced in the Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) and the Lalitpur Metropolitan City. After much study and research, it was found that the Sisdole area was appropriate as landfill sites. However, the locals of Sisdole have disrupted waste disposal for at least 56 times since 2005 when the garbage was first dumped in the landfill sites. The locals of Sisdole have once again refused to allow the garbage disposal at Aletar landfill site from Tuesday. This is nothing new and hardly surprising. These days politics seems to be involved in virtually everything, and it is even alleged that this is part of the national politics. In any case, those who end up suffering the most directly are the three million residents of the capital city who would be badly affected should the garbage not be disposed in a timely and efficient manner. Not only would the garbage pose as an eye sore, but along the way the litter would emit foul smell and pose a serious health hazard. Even now many of the valley residents suffer from various ailments resulting from unhygienic living conditions that is a matter of shame for any modern city.

The management of garbage should receive due priority from the government. Arrangements should be made for their proper disposal not only in Kathmandu Valley but other cities in the country as well. Most of the cities in the country have problems with the disposal of garbage, and most have no effective plans to manage it scientifically. The management of garbage is among the foremost task in developing a planned city. Failure to do so could have drastic consequences as the cities develop and proceed further towards development through urbanization. Most the developed countries in the world have succeeded in managing the garbage scientifically. They have even succeeded in recycling the wastes to use for agricultural and other such beneficial projects. In the case of Nepal, this too has been tried by some enterprising individuals, and they should be commended for doing so, but these are only on a limited scale. Serious thoughts should be given to actually build plants to treat garbage scientifically that would help alleviate much of the problems posed by garbage remaining unattended.

In the meantime, in Sisdole the locals have been raising much hue and cry that the earlier agreement made two weeks ago have not been implemented. The conditions set were such as maintaining transparency and checking the earlier performance, ambulance services, health posts and the like and also compensation. If there was a lapse on the part of KMC then those responsible for not fulfilling the commitment should be blamed. On the other hand, if the demands could not be met due to unforeseeable circumstances, the locals of Sisdole should realize this. Furthermore, the garbage disposal should be done scientifically so as to present no health hazards to the locals residing near the landfill sites. In the end, all the stakeholders concerned should not stick to irrational adamant stances but agree to a compromise through negotiations.

Serious breach

That Nobel Medical College in Biratnagar has remained closed for a week due to internal wrangling among its officials is a matter of great concern for students and their guardians. Whatever disputes the shareholders of the college may have among themselves, it is no reason to jeopardize the studies of those who have paid big sums of money as admission, tuition and miscellaneous fees. It just goes to highlight how much the concerned management is indifferent to the plight of the students pursuing their dream to become medical practitioners in the future. It seems that the code which directs the medical college management has gone missing for the lack of the supervisory and monitoring role that the authorizing body and the local administration have to undertake.

To remain mute to such disarray in the

academic sector cannot be the right thing. Serious steps have to be taken against the management

of the college if they fail to resolve the differences amongst themselves. In the meanwhile, all

arrangements have to made so that the students can continue their studies in an environment that is free from threats and violence. The future of the around 200 students must be looked into.