Dhangadhi– “We will be deprived of fresh air and safe drinking water if the landfill site is constructed in Dhangadhi Sub-Metropolitan City-2,”Krishna Malla of Saraswatinagar, Dhangadhi Sub-Metropolitan City-2 lamented.
Not only Malla, most of the people of this area suspect that the construction of landfill site will affect their daily life. “The surrounding environment will be degraded if the garbage processing plant is established here,” Malla said.
The Regional Urban Development Project and Dhangadhi Sub-Metropolitan City had signed an agreement on November 26, 2017 to construct an integrated landfill site in Dhangadhi Sub-Metropolitan City-2.
It has been assumed that it will cost Rs 208.4 million for the acquisition of land to construct the proposed landfill site in 35 bighas of land in ward No. 2 of Dhangadhi Sub-Metropolitan City.
Communication Officer at the Dhangadhi Sub-Metropolitan City Surendra Singh Karki said that the project will bear the cost for the acquisition of land.
Though the process of land acquisition and land survey has been started, the concerned authority has not been able to give reliable basis for the locals that the landfill site will not degrade the environment.
The project had been searching for the land to construct the landfill site since 2014/2015.
After monitoring 19 places of Dhangadhi Sub-Metropolitan City, the Project had started the process saying that Ward No. 2 of Saraswatinagar will be the appropriate place for the landfill site.
The locals had been expressing their dissatisfaction since 2015 after they came to know that the garbage processing plant will be established in ward No.2.
“We have settlement near the proposed landfill site. We don’t care about the development of this area. But the garbage of all the 19 wards should not be dumped here,” Malla said, adding, “We want fresh air and safe drinking water.”
He thinks that the price of the land will be decreased and the locals will not be able to get fresh air and safe drinking water in the radius of 100 metre if the landfill site is constructed.
The construction of road and drainage system among others have also been affected due to the failure of the Dhangadhi Sub-Metropolitan City to cajole the locals about the landfill site which going to be constructed with modern technology.
The Asian Development Bank will take ahead other works according to the agreement only after the issue of constructing the landfill site is resolved.
The Kathmandu Metropolitan City has been dumping the garbage in the landfill site of Sisdole, Nuwakot for the past many years. Because of that the locals of that area have been suffering from the unbearable garbage stink. The locals of Saraswatinagar think that they also have to face the same problem.
Dhangadhi Sub-Metropolitan City Community Development Section Officer Tanka Bista, however, said that the landfill site that is going to be constructed in Dhangadhi will be different from that of Nuwakot.
The human settlement is 200 metre away from the proposed landfill site in Dhangadhi Sub-Metropolitan City.
Though the landowners of the area have agreed to give land to the Project by taking compensation, the locals, who have been staying 200 metres away from the proposed landfill site, have been expressing their dissatisfaction.
“We have assumed that the project will acquire the land of around 85 persons in the area for the construction of landfill site,” Non-gazetted officer at the District Administration Office Ram Murti Singh said.
What will Waste Processing Centre look like?
Three types of wastes—decaying, non-decaying and recycling—will be managed in the Waste Processing Centre in such a way that will not harm the people, environment and land.
The machine will separate the waste— decaying, non-decaying and recycling—in the Waste Processing Centre.
Fertiliser, cattle feed and energy will be produced from the decaying waste while eight tunnels will be constructed to cover the non-decaying waste. One tunnel will last for eight years.
Dhangadhi Sub-Metropolitan City Environment Officer Ashok Awasti said that modern technology materials will be used to manage waster in the tunnels.
Engineer at the landfill site in Nepalgunj Metropolitan City Ashok Pandey said that serious attention has been paid to manage usable raw materials, gas produced from waste and extremely harmful liquids.
According to a study, 0.25 ton compost fertilizers and 0.5 ton green house will be produced from one ton bio waste.
“As our waste have two-third bio and remaining plastic and paper occupy 20-25 percent, there is high chance of producing compost fertilizers and recycling plastic and paper,” a source said.
Dhangadhi Sub-Metropolitan City collects over 47.8 ton waste on the daily basis. According to the statistics of Dhangadhi Sub-Metropolitan City, 2,000 to 3,000 cubic metre of biogas can be produced from 30 ton waste by using biogas technology daily. Likewise, 3,312 kilogram bio-fertilizers can be produced on the daily basis.
Dhangadhi Sub-Metropolitan City has been saying that the Sub-Metropolitan City can be recognized as the clean city after the construction of the Waste Processing Centre.
“The main problem of Dhangadhi is the waste,” Dhangadhi Sub-Metropolitan City Mayor Nrip Bahadur Bad said, adding, “Many problems of Dhangadhi will be solved if we can resolve this problem.”
In addition to that, there will be road, security, and discount in electricity bills in the place around the Waste Management Centre.
“We will take ahead an affected area special programme in the waste management place,” he said, adding, “We will stress on constructing roads, providing safe drinking water, special discounts on electricity bills, job guarantee and uplifting the life of land owners near the garbage processing centre under this programme.”
ADB to manage waster for one year
The Waste Management Centre to be constructed at the financial assistance of Asian Development Bank will manage the waste by mobilsing its human resources for one year. The ADB said that it will hand over the Waste Management Centre to the local level after one year.
The locals of affected area said that there will be weaknesses in the management of waste after the ADB handover the Waste Management Centre to the local level. The locals are of the opinion that the responsibility of waste management should be given to the private organization as they do not have trust on the working style of local level.
According to Environment Officer at the Dhangadhi Sub-Metropolitan City Ashok Awasti, the ADB will provide training to the staffers deployed by the local level and the people of affected area.
“The ADB will hand over the Waste Management Centre to the local level after carrying out long-term management,” he said. “The encouragement of local community is very essential to reduce the waste. The provision of award and punishment is necessary for the management of waste.
Sub-Metropolitan City convincing locals of affected area
The Dhangadhi Sub-Metropolitan City is organizing various programmes to convince the people of affected area.
The Sub-Metropolitan City has been visiting Waste Management Centre in various areas and also holding discussions with the locals of Ward No. 1 and 2 after they expressed their dissatisfaction that the Waste Management Centre should not be constructed.
Though most of the people have agreed to its plan to construct the Waste Management Centre, some locals are still against it, the Dhangadhi Sub-Metropolitan City said. “We are trying to convince the disgruntled locals,” Municipal Bada said. “We have been notifying the locals about the situation of Waste Management Centre of other areas, how the waste has been managed, advantages, and the Waste Management Centre to be constructed by the Dhangadhi Sub-Metropolitan City,” he added.
