Minister Kulman Ghising has forged an agreement after holding discussions with local residents and elected representatives at Banchare Danda landfill site in Kathmandu on Sunday.
With this, the obstruction to waste disposal, which Banchare Danda locals had been imposing for about a week, is now expected to be lifted.
"Minister Ghising came to Banchare Danda today. He committed to completing the feasible tasks within 15 days," Ghananath Bajagain, chair of Kakani Rural Municipality-3, told Setopati. "It has been decided to finalize the list of tasks that can be done within 15 days after holding discussions at the Ministry of Urban Development."
According to him, the talks at the ministry will take place on Sunday itself. The discussions will focus on tasks that can be done immediately, and a list will be prepared, Bajagain said.
Elected representatives from Kakani Rural Municipality Wards 1, 2, and 3, Dhunibeshi Municipality Ward 1, and local residents will participate in the talks.
Locals have been demanding the designation of a 2,500-meter buffer zone around Banchare Danda, and scientific waste management, among other things.
Claiming that none of the previous agreements have been fulfilled, locals had been obstructing the disposal of waste from about 22 local levels including the Kathmandu Valley since Tuesday.
Following Sunday’s agreement, around 150 trucks that were stopped on the road have started moving toward Banchare Danda. Approximately 1,200 tons of waste is brought daily to Banchare Danda from Kathmandu and surrounding local levels.
Currently, waste is being managed at Banchare Danda without segregation. Locals have protested against it, stating that this has led to the landfill site becoming nearly full, the leachate ponds being full and mixing into the Kolpu Khola.
