Ratnanagar receives award for waste management

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

Surpassing all local government units in the country, the municipality has attained the 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 Environment and Public Health Institute, has been conducting a policy advocacy programme on fluid excreta management.

Ratnanagar municipality has bagged a cash prize of 5,000 USD for operating the programme 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 environment conservation and sanitation.

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

The 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.

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

Environment-friendly campaigns are being run for 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. A processing center has been constructed in ward 4 of the municipality to manage human excreta of the bazaar area, he added.

"We are making an effort to make Ratnanagar clean, green and beautiful", he said, adding the campaign has gained momentum with the support from municipal residents.