Pokhara, 13 February | In a major bid to restore the environmental hygiene and aesthetic beauty of the tourist capital, Pokhara Metropolitan City has announced the imposition of hefty fines for haphazard waste disposal. Starting this Sunday, individuals or businesses found dumping garbage in public places, including roadsides and intersections, will face penalties ranging from a minimum of Rs 5,000 to a maximum of Rs 100,000. This strict measure follows a month-long deadlock in waste collection that was finally broken on Thursday evening after an all-party consensus. The metropolis aims to clear all accumulated waste across the city by Saturday, utilizing evening collection shifts to speed up the process.
To ensure effective implementation, the metropolitan office has deployed specialized monitoring teams and will utilize CCTV footage to identify offenders. In addition to financial penalties, the city has adopted a “name and shame” policy, where the identities of those violating waste disposal rules will be published in national newspapers and on the metropolis’s official social media platforms and website. Mayor Dhanraj Acharya emphasized that these stringent policies are vital for urban beautification and the protection of public health. Following the closure of the Bachchebuduwa landfill site in Ward 14 due to the operation of the Pokhara International Airport, the city has been utilizing a temporary site at Lameahal in Ward 32. Residents are urged to wait for the designated collection vehicles and refrain from littering in public areas as the city strives for a permanent and sustainable waste management solution.
