Keeping the date of February 19 in mind, KMC is also preparing to launch a plastic-free campaign. February 19 is celebrated in the country as democracy day. KMC is holding consultations with different stakeholders to make the drive successful.[break]
KMC said the ban will be enforced in all shops of the valley. “We will request all shopkeepers not to use plastic bags that are below 20 microns,” Chief of KMC Kedar Bahadur Adhikari said. He said KMC will also hold talks with plastic bag manufacturers.
According to KMC, there are 50 registered producers of plastic bags in Kathmandu. Dozens of unregistered firms are also producing low-quality polythene bags. KMC has already held consultations with the representatives of Nepal Chamber of Commerce.
Adhikari said representatives of Nepal Chamber of Commerce will assist in the plastic-free campaign. The environment department of KMC said an awareness program will be launched to make the campaign successful.
KMC said it has asked other municipalities in the valley for necessary preparations to launch the campaign. Adhikari said he has already given directives to the secretary of ward offices to make the campaign effective. KMC has already banned plastic bags in public places, parks, heritage sites like Pashupatinath, Hanuman Dhoka Durbur Square, Bauddhanath, Swayambhunath and government and semi government offices.
KMC is also preparing to launch waste management campaign. Adhikari revealed that KMC is mulling handing over the responsibility of garbage collection to consumer committees. “Consumer committees will collect garbage from households,” he added.
He hopes the city will be cleaned after consumer committees take over the responsibility.
“We are also thinking to fix a tariff to be paid to the cleaner by the garbage producer. Hospitals, hotels and business complexes will have to pay more than the individual households,” Rabinman Shrestha at the Environment Division of KMC said. He said KMC will only collect segregated garbage. The segregated waste will be collected in rotation.
The ward office of metropolis will provide training to the local people for segregation of the garbage. He also said that demonstration programs will be held in every ward of the metropolis.
Meanwhile, the government is preparing to bring production guideline for plastic bags. The Ministry of Environment says that the guideline will prohibit the production of plastic bags less than 20 microns thick. Ministry spokesperson Mina Khanal said the guideline will be published in the Nepal gazette very soon.
Khanal said those violating the guideline could be fined up to Rs 50,000. The ministry has formed a commitee to implement the guidelines while a committee under the chief district Officer (CDO) will monitor the implementation of the guideline in districts.
The ministry has also determined the color of the bag according to its use -- black for garbage, white for food stuffs and green for other items.
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