The Kathmandu Metropolitan Mayor has begun piling dust collected by street sweepers outside the Road Department and the Divisional Road Office in Babarmahal and Min Bhawan.
Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) is taking a unique approach to highlight the dust pollution plaguing the city.
This move comes in response to the stalled construction of the Kalanki-Maharajganj section of Kathmandu’s ring road. Mayor Balen Shah blames the federal government’s inaction for the ongoing dust problem. In a Facebook post, he stated his intention to continue sending “truckloads of dust gifts” to the government until they address the issue.
Sunil Lamsal, the city’s infrastructure consultant, explained that dust swept from the streets in the morning is now being dumped outside the road offices in the afternoon, highlighting the lack of a proper disposal solution.
Mayor Shah further emphasized the frustrations of Kathmandu residents. He claims dust contributes to over half the city’s pollution, forcing residents to breathe dust, spend more on vehicle maintenance, and endure longer commutes. He expressed his disappointment at the city being unfairly blamed for the issue.
This symbolic protest aims to pressure the federal government to expedite construction on the Kalanki-Maharajganj road section and implement effective dust control measures, ultimately improving air quality and traffic flow in Kathmandu.
