The problem of waste management in Bharatpur Metropolitan City has been very challenging for decades. The Metropolitan City, which has been doing open dumping in the Narayani River for 15 years, was sometimes taking all the waste to the Jaldevi community forest and sometimes taking it to the river bank and dumping it. But since it will affect the environment and the community as well, due to many protests and obstructions, the Metropolitan City has been dumping waste by taking it to the city forest in the middle of the Narayani River for the last 7 years. Even though the government has banned the dumping of garbage in river systems, lakes, border areas, wildlife habitats, religious places, heritage areas, protected areas, road jurisdictions and other public places, the Metropolitan City is throwing garbage in those areas because they could not find the best alternative. After the voice is raised on this issue, the metropolis has been avoiding the issue of garbage many times by promising that an alternative location has been searched and a modern landfill site will be built soon with the help of the Korean government.
In the year 2068, the Metropolitan City took 9.9 hectares of land from the government to build a safe landfill site within the Jaldevi Community Forest, but the landfill site construction has not yet been progressed at that location. Metropolitan city, which is hoping for investment from the Korean government, did not give priority to the landfill site and there is still no sign of progress in its construction. As a result, more than 1,31,400 tons of mixed waste have been piled up in an area of about 11 Bighas in the Nagarban area. While the garbage piled up in this way is causing serious problems in river ecology, forests and biological diversity, we are very saddened by the fact that garbage mixed with human excreta was used to level the banks of Narayani river as an preparation for the Chitwan Mahotsab; trade and tourism fair.
Narayani River is not only a tourist site but also a holy place from a religious point of view. Devotees worship the Narayani River and bathe in the river on various festivals. The protection of this river should be the main responsibility of the metropolitan city and we are hopeful that the sea beach model concept will help in the protection of this river. But we do not accept the fact that the citizens of the city are made partakers of the sin by dumping the garbage discarded from our houses in this holy place.
Narayani River is crossing the danger mark of flood every year. In this case, the flow of water on the shore is very unstable and high, the sandy soil of the shore is being washed away and it is also piling up in the irrigation canal. Because of this, there are pits on the shore. For Chitwan’s glorious industrial and tourist fair Chitwan Mahotsab, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry has done the work of filling the trenches with Municipal waste instead of soil. How can these mixed and untreated waste be an alternative to soil?
The landfilled waste directly affects the river ecosystem and human life. This creates economic loss, risk of flooding in urban areas and the threat of weakening the structure of the Narayani River Bridge. These wastes cause long-term damage to the river’s ecosystem, affect aquatic river species, mix harmful and poisonous chemicals in the water and damage the ground water. As it directly affects the environment and human health, this is a terrible step against the environment and consumer interest.
Bharatpur Metropolitan Municipality has already passed the Environment and Natural Resources Protection Act, 2076 for environmental protection. Article 30 of the Constitution of Nepal ensures that every citizen has the right to live in a clean and healthy environment and that victims of environmental pollution or degradation have the right to receive compensation from the polluter. Article 35 ensures the right of every citizen to have access to clean drinking water and sanitation. Disposing of garbage in the river and in any public place has been completely banned. But in this case, dumping more than 150 tractors (150 tons) of garbage in the Narayani River in the name of organizing a Tourism and Trade Fairs is against the rights of citizens. Narayani is not only our river but also the home of aquatic animals. How can we celebrate fairs by polluting Narayani River?
Both the Bharatpur Metropolitan City and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry have admitted that it was a human error, but they have not shown any initiative to correct it. Although the Metropolitan City has instructed the Chitwan Chamber of Commerce and Industry to remove the garbage, the association is adamant that it will be removed only after the festival. It is our demand that the waste dumped illegally on the banks of the Narayani River should be immediately removed from there and managed in a safe place through a safe method. The management of this waste is need of hour. We sincerely request that all the citizens, stakeholders and related parties take this matter as a priority and raise voices against the injustice being done on the Narayani River and the atrocities committed on us and the future generations.