SINDHULI, April 1: If you are traveling on the BP highway, there is now one aspect you have to pay attention to. Throwing garbage on the highway is prohibited. After the comprehensive cleanliness drive to maintain the beauty of the highway, a policy has been made to impose a cash fine against those who throw garbage on the highway.
With the financial support of the Division Forest Office, Sindhuli, in collaboration with the Kamalamai Municipality and the District Police Office, Sindhuli, a comprehensive sanitation campaign that started last Friday has been given continuity. On Friday, Kamalamai Municipality 4 of Sindhuli was cleaned from Chiyabari to Hirapani. Along with cleanliness on the highway, littering on the highway has also been banned.
Upendra Kumar Pokharel, the mayor of Kamalamai Municipality, Sindhuli, informed Republica that there is cooperation with the police to impose cash fines on those who throw garbage on the BP highway.
Large cities of Province 1 dumping waste in the open
As the BP highway is extremely winding, many passengers who travel through this highway often vomit in the course of the journey. When the highway itself starts to stink due to the waste including vomit from the passengers, the local authorities have decided to make it mandatory for the vehicles to keep a dustbin in the vehicle itself and dispose of the dustbins kept in different places along the highway.
Sagar Kumar Dhakal, Administrative Head of Environment Branch of Kamalamai Municipality, said that those who violate the rules and throw garbage on the highway will be fined. If one throws a vomit bag violating the rule, he/she will be fined Rs 500 and if one is found throwing wrappers of junk foods then he/she will be fined Rs 350.
Similarly, Rs 200 will be fined to those throwing other waste materials along the BP Highway. He said that arrangements have been made to monitor it strictly by the team of Nepal Police in Kamalamai Municipality Police and Division Forest Office.
Earlier last week, BP highway was cleaned from Kamalamai Municipality-4, Hirapani to Kamalamai Municipality-6 Shiva Nagar and the same campaign was launched on Friday from Hirapani to Chiyabari. Krishna Raj Neupane, head of the Division Forest Office, Sindhuli, said action will be taken against those who throw garbage on the highway according to the regulations of the Environment Protection Act and local level environment regulations in order to maintain the beauty of the BP highway.
Neupane further said that if any of the vehicles plying on the highway and local residents and hoteliers throw garbage on the highway and its surroundings, they will all be subject to punishment.
Throwing garbage in the Sindhuli section of the BP highway that runs from Bardibas in Mahottari to Dhulikhel in Kavre has been banned. Sanitation has also been started from the Dumja area in Sunkoshi rural municipality.
Ward Chairman of Sunkosi Rural Municipality -1 Ram Kumar Shrestha said that the campaign to keep the highway clean and beautiful has also started in Sunkosi Rural Municipality. According to Sub-Inspector of Police Rameshwar Pandey at the District Traffic Police Office, Sindhuli, new rule has been put in place to dispose garbage only in dustbins placed at various places on the highway and action will be taken along with cash fines for those who throw waste and garbages indiscriminately.
