KATHMANDU: Police have arrested 14 people, including the coordinator of the struggle committee, for trying to stop vehicles carrying garbage in Sisdol of Nuwakot.

Locals had obstructed the vehicles of Kathmandu Metropolis carrying garbage to Bancharedanda for dumping.

Nuwakot Police Chief Ram Prakash Shah said that those who obstructed waste management were arrested.

The obstruction has now been cleared, he said.

Garbage collection started today with the consent of the concerned local level on Monday. Garbage was sent to Bancharedanda as per the agreement.

Locals blocked garbage trucks saying that they were unaware of the agreement between the government and the local representatives.

The collection of garbage in the Kathmandu Valley had earlier hit a snag after locals of Sisdol in Nuwakot blocked vehicles carrying garbage.

As per the agreement reached in Kathmandu on Monday, the garbage collection piled up in Kathmandu for about a month started this morning.

While some vehicles were on their way to Sisdol carrying garbage, the locals obstructed them again.

According to Shri Ram Dhungana, a local, the agreement reached in Kathmandu on Monday evening has been rejected by the locals.

They have demanded full implementation of previous agreements.

“Yesterday’s agreement was not accepted by the locals,” he said, adding, “Vehicles coming from Kathmandu have been stopped demanding implementation of the past agreements.”

In an all-party discussion held at the Ministry of Urban Development with Minister Ram Kumari Jhankri on Monday evening, it was agreed to pick up garbage from Kathmandu and take it to Sisdol and Bancharedanda landfill sites.

As per the agreement, the Ministry of Urban Development has allocated Rs 425 million for river control work, the construction of community buildings, temples, and tree plantation programs. It was agreed to spend a total of Rs 21.2 million on this.

After receiving the report of environmental impact assessment regarding land acquisition, it was agreed to start the process of acquisition by identifying the land to be acquired on the basis of that report.

Similarly, it has been agreed to provide health insurance to the permanent residents of the affected areas by completing the procedure from the Nepal Health Insurance Board.

It has been agreed to continue the grant provided in the past for the infrastructure development of the affected areas.

Based on the report of the Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST), the process of removing odor by chemical or biological treatment will be started within 10 days. It has been agreed to make arrangements for lifting and covering the garbage with soil.

Similarly, it has been said that arrangements will be made to sort the garbage produced in the Kathmandu Valley from the source.

The MoU has been signed by Rabindra Bohara, Project Director of Bancharedanda Waste Management Project on behalf of the Ministry of Urban Development, Loknath Poudyal on behalf of the Chief Administrative Officer of Kathmandu Metropolitan City and Haridatta Kandel, Chief Administrative Officer on behalf of Dhunibenshi municipality.

Locals are adamant about not agreeing to the agreement, said Dhungana.