Ratnanagar receives outstanding award for waste management

Kathmandu: Ratnanagar municipality has showcased exemplary performance in waste management when it has emerged as a big challenge for the local government units across the country.

Surpassing all local government units in the country, the municipality has attained an outstanding award for managing waste.

The Municipality Association of Nepal (MUAN), in collaboration with the United Cities Local Government Asia Pacific and with the technical assistance of the Environment and Public Health Institute, has been conducting a policy advocacy program on fluid excreta management. Ratnanagar municipality has bagged a cash prize of 5,000 USD for operating the program effectively.

The United Cities Local Government Asia-Pacific is an international organization run by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. It has been working in the areas of environmental conservation and sanitation.

According to the municipality’s engineer Pankaj Giri, the municipality had an annually spent budget ranging from Rs 10 million to Rs 12.5 million for waste management before the elected people’s representatives took charge.

He shared that the municipality has not engaged the private sector in collecting waste but also placed public awareness campaign for waste management.

Waste management has been undertaken in collaboration with the private sector after the arrival of elected representatives. With this approach in place, the municipality has been annually earning Rs 4.2 million.

Environment-friendly campaigns are being run for the elimination of plastic materials. The municipality has put tough measures to control plastic use in the hotels being operated in different areas, including Sauraha.

Ratnanagar mayor Pralhad Sapkota said the municipality has strictly prohibited throwing plastic in public places. He said that a processing center had been constructed in ward 4 of the municipality to manage human excreta from the bazaar area.

“We are effortful to make Ratnanagar clean, green, and beautiful”, he said, adding the campaign has gained momentum with the support from municipal residents.

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