The Bhutanese Leading the way.
In the absence of a proper garbage disposal system Dagapela bazaar has been grappling with waste being dumped all over the settlement.
Now the situation has gotten worse with residents targeting private vacant plots to dump waste say frustrated land owners.
“There are plastic bottles, batteries, and used computer equipment, left over paint and also day to day garbage everywhere”, a landowner, Bimal D Sunar, said.
“It is not from one source, because I walk my dog frequently, and ever so often there is a new waste disposed. So it’s been happening over the years”, Sangay, a resident said. “Diseases like cholera, typhoid fever and other food and water-borne illness would spread if nothing is done about the mounting garbage”.
Poor drainage is yet another problem.
“I tried to maintain the channel and approached the Gewog and Dzongkhag administration for a proper drainage system but nobody seems concerned about it”, Bimal said.
“The real problem is that there is garbage everywhere, but not a place to dump it. This has been the situation for a very long time in Dagapela”, said Hari Gurung, whose lands are being used as a dump. “We all know the problem no one has come out with the solution, which is a suitable place to dump the garbage.”
Landowners prepared a letter for the gewog and dzongkhag administration but nothing has been done so far, they say.
“We are also helpless, we don’t have municipal truck and dumping sites,” said Sangay Sherpa, a shopkeeper. “The dumping site we had is 40 kms from here. Nobody will travel 40 kms just to dump the waste”.
Tsendagang Gup Bal Bahadur Rana said Dagapela Bazaar falls under Tsendagang gewog which is not recognized as throm or municipal area. “So we don’t have budget and we don’t have a municipal truck. There is nothing we could do now”, he said.
Tandin Dorji, Environment Officer said waste management rules have to be taken to the people, as rules are of no use, without the participation of the people.
