Kathmandu, September 17
A bill seeking to amend and consolidate laws related to waste management has been registered in Parliament.
Infrastructure Development Minister Sunil Lamsal registered the bill in the House of Representatives on Thursday.
According to Lamsal, the bill has been introduced to clarify the roles and responsibilities of the federal, provincial and local governments in waste generation, collection, disposal and overall management.
The bill aims to ensure effective coordination among the three levels of government and maintain a clean and healthy environment through proper and effective waste management.
Lamsal stated in the bill that it was presented to the Federal Parliament to minimise the adverse impacts of waste on human health and the environment and to provide for processing waste and using it as a resource in line with the concept of a circular economy.
Article 30 of the Constitution guarantees every citizen the right to live in a clean and healthy environment and the right to compensation from the polluter for damage caused by environmental pollution or degradation.
Article 35 guarantees every citizen the right to access clean drinking water and sanitation.
The government expects the bill, if passed, to facilitate co-investment among the different levels of government, public-private partnerships and the mobilisation of development assistance for waste management.
It also aims to create a basis for research, technological development and transfer, inter-local and intergovernmental partnerships, and the exchange of knowledge, skills and experience.
The government believes the bill will clarify the responsibilities of different levels of government and help achieve constitutional goals related to waste management and environmental cleanliness while promoting the use of processed waste as resources under the circular economy concept.
