In the old books, Kathmandu is described as a charming city with more temples than houses. Nowadays, it is better described by rampant urbanisation, pollution and uncollected garbage. The burden of modernisation this old city has suffered is great. Its holy rivers have become open sewers full of commercial and private waste, for example, without eliciting dismayed opposition from the city governors and dwellers.

Its forests within the fertile Valley have disappeared and there are few trees left in the concrete jungle. The air is thick with dust, smoke and a cacophony of sounds, so much so that short hikes to the hills that surround the Valley feel a thousand Kilometers removed. As the number of houses in the city has gone up, so has the waste. Many old inhabitants of the city blame the newcomers for soiling the beauty of this old Capital. But that is a misplaced charge. People’s lifestyles have changed—from the materials they consume to the kind of garbage they produce. Even 20 years or so ago, an average Kathmandu dweller would not have consumed a packet of juice, plastic bottles of Coke and water. But with the introduction of policies that encourage consumerism, hyper-individualism and the increased consumption of products that come with non-biodegradable packaging, traditional modes of organic waste disposal have become obsolete. Waste does not take care of itself like in the past. Instead of blaming the newcomers, the old and new residents of Kathmandu should get over prejudices and think of ways to reduce and dispose waste.
This involves taking collective responsibility. There is the lingering attitude that as long as waste is not dumped next to your house, it is not your problem. This attitude can be best characterised by the cliché—out of sight, out of mind. Perhaps this is why most people do not feel guilty about littering. But that may be about to change. The Kathmandu Metropolitan City has recently begun to implement the Solid Waste Management Act, which gives the authorities the right to find and jail the people who throw garbage on the street. A joint team of the police and the Kathmandu Metropolitan City has arrested 45 people for littering. This is a good start. But legal enforcement alone will not solve the problem. The planners have to consider why people started dumping garbage on the street in the first place. It is necessary to put in place designated dumpsters and trash cans around the city. Equally important is the role of civic education. Little acts of civility matter to make life in a city pleasant. Until people internalise this, littering will persist. At the same time, a lasting solution can only come from a combination of education at the individual level, and offering a convenient method of waste disposal at the municipal level.

Source: The Kathmandu Post, April 16, 2012