I have been working in the environment sector for the last 3/4 years and I am the student of the Environment Sciences. Waste management is always my field of interest.
Being the resident and responsible youth of Bharatpur Metropolitan City, I have big interest to work and contribute in waste management of Bharatpur. I always had a curiosity to know how metropolitan city is managing our waste after we send to the metropolis vehicle. Most of us don’t care where these vehicle take our waste as most of us still think that our responsibility gets over after we put our waste to the open tractor mobilized by metropolitan city. But the fact is these Municipal waste are being dumped in the Narayani River without any segregation and treatment. More than 12 Bighas of forest land has already been destroyed in Nagar Ban (Municipal Forest that is located in the middle of Narayani River). Dumping waste without sorting pollutes Narayani River damaging the river ecology and has a negative impact on aquatic life, wild animals, forest, public health and soil.
Article 30 of the Constitution of Nepal has given the right to every citizen to live in a clean environment. Likewise, Article 35 ensures the citizen’s right to clean drinking water and sanitation. According to the local government act 2074, proper waste management is very important indicator to be a Metropolitan City. According to the Garbage Management Act 2068, the responsibility for the management of garbage belongs to the metropolitan city and it has to be managed by segregating waste into biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste. Likewise, the metropolitan city is also responsible for managing waste at its source. It is stipulated that the necessary actions to encourage waste reduction, reuse and recycling shall be carried out. But the waste management practices is almost same since last 16 years in Bharatpur Metropolitan City. Municipal waste are being dumped openly in Narayani River, which is a crime by law.
Narayni River is connected to Chitwan National Park which is also listed as world heritage site. It is also one of the richest river with diverse river species in Nepal. It has its own ecological, religious, economic and socio-cultural values. Protecting Narayani River should be the priority of Bhatatpur Metropolitan City. For the sustainable development of the city, sustainable waste management practices should be introduced by Metropolitan city and should allocate budget for the construction of sanitary landfill site with modern technologies. Also, every citizen must help Metropolitan City by reducing the waste and managing waste at the source so that the quantity of waste will be reduced in landfill site.