KATHMANDU: The government and the residents of Bancharedanda have reached an 11-point agreement. The discussions held on Thursday at Singha Durbar between government officials and local representatives concluded with a formal deal addressing long-standing concerns related to the landfill site.
According to the agreement, the government will immediately review and correspond regarding cases filed against local residents in the past. It will also instruct the consultant company to expedite the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report and obtain a written commitment. Both sides have agreed to allocate the required budget for land acquisition in the next fiscal year, based on the EIA report.
The agreement also states that Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) will be asked to provide compensation within the current fiscal year for houses, sheds, and crops belonging to Bancharedanda locals.
KMC has decided to provide compensation to the most affected residents of Banchare based on the same criteria previously applied to the severely affected area of Sisdole, using the current valuation for houses, sheds, and crops.
Local representatives had raised concerns that waste was being dumped outside the designated capping layer by cutting into the surrounding hills, causing leachate to directly enter water sources and pollute the Kolpu River. The agreement ensures that such activities will be immediately halted and brought under legal action.
To ensure proper management of leachate, a team of experts will be formed within 15 days to conduct field inspections and recommend long-term solutions.
The agreement also includes provisions for special health and education support. Residents of the highly affected areas of Banchare and Sisdole will be provided free treatment for any illness at any government hospital within Kathmandu Metropolitan City, through special cards or another mechanism to be finalized within a month. A mandatory quota for affected students in schools and colleges across the Valley will also be enforced within the same timeframe.
For employment opportunities, municipalities that generate waste will be required to raise the issue of hiring affected locals in meetings called by the Mayors’ Forum or relevant ministries. KMC will increase the annual support provided to two municipalities from the current Rs 3 crore each to Rs 6 crore each, and will be requested to include Belkotgadhi Municipality in the next fiscal year. The Ministry of Urban Development will also request other waste-generating municipalities to contribute mandatorily.
The government will prepare guidelines to provide immediate relief to families who have lost members to illnesses linked to the Sisdole–Bancharedanda landfill sites. Likewise, obstructions created by locals in waste transportation and disposal will be removed, allowing operations to resume smoothly. The agreement also commits to advancing the process to develop the Tinpipley–Kumari Galchi road as a multi-year project within the current fiscal year.
Residents of Bancharedanda have repeatedly staged protests, accusing the government of ignoring their demands. Fifteen days ago, Minister for Urban Development Kulman Ghising had visited the Bancharedanda landfill site and assured locals that their issues would be addressed. However, with no visible progress, locals once again blocked Kathmandu’s waste from being transported to the site.
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