KATHMANDU: Several years have gone by since Kathmandu Metropolitan City stepped up drive to make the capital city free of dust, but the city looks as polluted as ever.
In December 2017, Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) started using road broomer machines in the morning and sprinkling water during night around Ratna Park area of Kathmandu. In addition to that, sweepers were also mobilized to clean the roads. But the authority has suddenly stopped these activities and the broomer machines have damaged.
Similarly, the Department of Roads (DoR) in 2016 announced to blacktop all the roads in Kathmandu within a year. The DoR planned to spray water, use broomer machines, and maintain the water pipelines and sewerage system. Despite the plan, people are forced to commute by the roads that are either muddy or dusty.
KMC Mayor Biddhya Sundar Shakya had announced to take measures to cut down air pollution of Kathmandu by reducing the dust and smokes but to no avail.
The Department of Transport Management announced to check emission of four-wheel vehicles and implement green sticker system in the Kathmandu Valley, six metropolitan and 11 sub-metropolitan cities across the country from August 17. However, vehicles failing emission tests are still plying on the roads of Kathmandu Valley.
Likewise, the clean Bagmati campaign has crossed the period of five years. Stinking sewerage flows in the Bagmati river. Most of the commitments expressed by the government authorities have not been not been fulfilled.
The Valley denizens have complained that the situation has worsened in terms of pollution. The masks are not enough to protect the people from dust, smog and dirt. “We have to bring a handkerchief along with a mask with us,” said the commuters.
Apart from the dust and muddy road, people are now forced to walk past the streets littered with stinking garbage as the cities of the valley have not been able find a long term solution to collect and dump the garbage.
“People throw the trash on the roads,” said Santosh Regmi of Sinamangal in Kathmandu. “The stinking waste on the road nauseates us,” he said. “Earlier, we were forced breath smoke and dust but now we are enduring foul odor.” Ful Maya Tamang of Balkhu said the dust and smoke have increased in Kathmandu.
Gyanendra Karki, spokesperson for the KMC, said that controlling dust and smoke has been a challenging task. “However, we have not given up,” he said. “Almost all the roads are below the set standards. There are potholes everywhere. So it has been difficult to control dust.”
According to him, the KMC has signed an agreement to import six broomer machines and it will take six months to arrive in Nepal.
Sisdole landfill site in Nuwakot district that has been used for 13 years to dump the garbage of Kathmandu valley is running out of capacity. Work on the alternative landfill site proposed at Bancharedanda has been obstructed due to tussle between federal and local governments, said Hari Kuwar, chief of Environment Management Department at KMC.
Earlier, Waste Management Technical Support Center was assigned to develop landfill site at Bancharedanda in Nuwakot.
Moreover, DoR has announced to plug the potholes. However, it has been stalled due to lack of coordination with other bodies, said Mukti Gautam, spokesman for the DoR.
“The drinking water pipelines are older than 100 years. They get damaged frequently,” he said. “Drinking Water Department digs up road to lay the pipes. We fill them. The problem is persistent due to lack of coordination between the government bodies responsible to oversee drinking water, sewerage management, roads, irrigation, electricity and telephone.”
Gautam further said the areas along the Bauddha-Jorpati, and Kalanki-Nagdhunga, among others are badly affected by dust. “We are working to control them. Some of the works will be completed by November and others by next March,” Gautam claimed.
