Disposal of garbage has been resumed with the assistance of the police force.

Kathmandu: Following the police force being able to clear an obstruction caused by residents, garbage disposal in the Kathmandu Valley resumed on Tuesday at Banchare Danda landfill on the border of Nuwakot and Dhading districts, after seven weeks of disruption.

By Tuesday evening, some 150 trucks transporting waste from the Kathmandu Valley had disposed the garbage at the dumping site.

Around a dozen protesting residents were detained by the police as they attempted to block garbage trucks from reaching the dump site.

“Because the locals have not stopped protesting, we may need law enforcement support on Wednesday as well,” said Sarkardeep Shrestha, a Kathmandu Metropolitan City official.

Several trucks transporting garbage from the Kathmandu Valley arrived at the landfill site early Tuesday morning after an agreement was reached on Monday evening between the Metropolitan City, the Ministry of Urban Development, and local authorities from Sisdole and Banchare Danda.

But enraged locals, who were unaware about the agreement signed the previous day, blocked the road preventing the trucks from reaching the landfill.

“The police detained about a dozen of our friends this morning,” said Chandra Bahadur Balami, a member of the Banchare Danda Waste Management Struggle Committee. “Rather than dealing with local demands, the authorities prefer to seek the assistance of security agencies.”

Police said they removed the protesting locals from the vicinity of the landfill site after they attempted to harm the garbage trucks.

“We only removed the protesters from the landfill site,” said Gautam Mishra, Deputy Superintendent of Police at Metropolitan Police Circle, Balaju. “We have not arrested anyone.”

The ministry has committed to invest Rs 425 million on five separate roads leading to Banchare Danda, while Rs. 17 million has been allotted for river embankment, the construction of a community building, and tree planting in the region, according to the agreement reached on Monday. As per the agreement, all of these projects will be completed in the new fiscal year 2022-23.

The city has stated that it will begin the process of providing health insurance to residents in the impacted area in less than a week. Residents of Dhunibeshi Municipality’s wards 1, 3, 4 and Kakani Rural Municipality’s wards 1, 2 and 3 would benefit from the insurance service. In addition, the city has stated that it will continue to provide subsidies for other infrastructure development projects in the wards.

Starting June 15, the city will separate solid trash into biodegradable and non-biodegradable types at the site itself.

The Ministry of Urban Development has also stated that a land acquisition drive will be launched in the areas that has been affected.

Tags: Banchare, Dhading, Dispute, Garbage, kmc, Locals, Nuwakot, Police, Waste Management