By Ek Raj Giri
Pokhara, Oct. 27: Pokhara Metropolitan City has decided to move its landfill site from Chhinedanda, Ward No. 14.
The 52nd executive meeting of the city decided to move the landfill site to allow the under-construction Pokhara Regional International Airport (PRIA) to come into operation after completion of its construction.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal has repeatedly asked the metropolis to move the dumping ground to clear the pathway for planes coming into and going out of the international airport.
The dump will now be moved to Pashmang, Ward No. 16.

The city had earlier formed a committee under Ward 16 Chairman Jeevan Acharya to search for land to relocate the dumping site. This committee submitted its report to Acting Mayor Manju Devi Gurung last week, following which the city has formed another committee to acquire necessary land as well as identify and solve the problems of the local community.

Dhan Bahadur Nepali, spokesperson for the metropolitan city, informed that Pokhara had also formed a facilitation committee under Ward 19 chair Shobha Mohan Poudel to coordinate with the local stakeholders.
“The committee will initiate discussions with the communities within a week and will inform the metropolis about ways to address the locals’ demands, mitigate the environmental and social impact of the landfill and prepare a plan to begin construction of the dumping site,” Nepali said.

Once the facilitation committee submits its report, Nepali said that the metropolitan would begin the process of acquiring the land for the landfill in accordance with the Land Acquisition Act 1977.