Waste disposal at Bancharedanda disrupted again as locals block trucks

KATHMANDU: Waste disposal at Bancharedanda has been halted again from today after locals obstructed trucks arriving from Kathmandu Valley.

Residents of Kakani in Nuwakot and Dhunbesi in Dhading blocked the road, saying the government has failed to implement past agreements. Due to the obstruction, garbage trucks from the Valley were sent back to Kathmandu without unloading.

Locals had already announced an indefinite shutdown in mid-Kartik, demanding scientific and well-managed waste treatment along with the implementation of earlier agreements. They said the commitment made by Minister for Urban Development Kulman Ghising during his visit to the affected area on Kartik 16 has not been fulfilled.

Niranjan Sanjel, a local from Dhunbesi-1, stated that the minister had verbally promised to implement the agreements within 15 days, but no progress has been made. “There was an 18-point agreement related to Sisdol–Bancharedanda waste management, but work has not started until now,” he said. “We want written commitments and immediate action.”

Locals from Kakani Ward 1, 2 and 3, and Dhunbesi Wards 1 and 3 have been sitting along the border road between the two districts, stopping garbage trucks from entering the landfill area. They have demanded the full implementation of the 18-point agreement reached on June 9, 2022, with the team led by Kathmandu Mayor Balen Shah.

The agreement includes provisions such as disposing of waste only at night, preventing foul smell, stopping leachate leakage from garbage trucks, and ensuring scientific waste treatment so that leachate does not flow into rivers.

Locals say that failure to implement the agreement has caused foul smell and increased risks of communicable diseases in the area, affecting daily life. Hundreds of residents from Sisdol, Kunderle and Dhande have been staging peaceful protests, calling for written commitments and visits by responsible authorities.

Local representatives, party members, and elected officials from Kakani, Belkotgadhi, and Dhunbesi have expressed support for the demands.