Kathmandu: Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) could not collect garbage from the streets today as well because of the indefinite strike called by Civil Struggle Committee for Bibek Devkota on Pasang Lhamu Highway. We are depressed by different mass media which have been accusing our involvement in the garbage issue,” Laxman Kathe Ghimire, coordinator of the committee, said, adding, “We have just been demanding the government to form a scientific probe committee to look into the incident and take action against the perpetrators.”

He also said that they had no intention of playing politics in garbage and said that they would call off the strike once their demands were fulfilled. Rabin Man Shrestha, chief of environment management department under the KMC, said that they were discussing with the Ministry of Local Development (MoLD) to find the way out to the issue. “We have limited resources and the case is solely related to the government. We are not in a position to pressurize the government,” he shared. He, however, added that it was impossible to collect and dump garbage in another place for the time being, as there are no such places nearby. “We will collect the garbage as soon as the highway opens,” he said.
Ashok Shahi, acting general manager of Solid Waste Management and Resource Mobilization Centre (SWMRMC), said they had already informed Minister for Local Development about the new developments. “He has assured us of discussing the issue with the Prime Minister and Home Minister as soon as possible,” he added.

Source: The Himalayan Times; The Rising Nepal; Kantipur, January 20, 2009