Ecology and Environment – Living in a Redwood Tree

Garbage Management in Nepal

Garbage management has become one of the most serious problems of Nepal's big cities. As towns such as Kathmandu, Pokhara, Biratnagar and Birgunj have grown quickly, the amount of waste they produce has increased far faster than the ability of local governments to collect, transport and dispose of it. Piles of rubbish on streets and river banks are now a common and unpleasant sight.

The causes are many. Rapid urbanisation and migration to cities have increased the population, and changing lifestyles, with more packaged goods and plastic, have increased the amount of waste. Most households do not separate organic and non-organic waste. Cities also lack enough landfill sites, vehicles and trained workers. The Sisdole landfill site near Kathmandu, for example, has been protested against many times by local people, and the dumping of waste along the Bagmati and other rivers has badly polluted them.

The effects are harmful. Rotting garbage gives off a bad smell and attracts flies, rats and mosquitoes, spreading diseases such as diarrhoea, dengue and cholera. Burning plastic pollutes the air, and leachate from dumps pollutes groundwater. Dirty cities also damage tourism, which is important for our economy.

However, the problem can be solved if everyone plays a part. First, households should separate waste at source into organic and non-organic parts. Organic waste can be turned into compost or biogas, and plastic, glass and paper can be recycled. Second, local governments should build scientific sanitary landfill sites, provide more collection vehicles, and enforce penalties against people who litter. Third, the use of thin plastic bags should be strictly banned, and people should be encouraged to carry cloth bags. Finally, schools, the media and community clubs should run awareness campaigns so that cleanliness becomes a habit, and private companies should be encouraged to take part in recycling.

In conclusion, garbage management is a shared responsibility of citizens, local governments and the state. If we follow the principle of reduce, reuse and recycle, our cities can become clean, healthy and attractive places to live in.

He requested them to help the poor.

The polite "Please" is reported with the verb "requested" followed by an object and a to-infinitive.

Mohan said that his brother had arrived home late.

In reported speech the pronoun "my" changes to "his" and the simple past "arrived" shifts back to the past perfect "had arrived".

She told her clerk not to make a mistake again or he would be sacked.

The imperative becomes "told ... not to + verb", "you" becomes "he", and "will" shifts to "would".

She wondered if I had seen that film.

"Wondered" is used for a question, so the reported clause begins with "if/whether", "you" becomes "I", "have seen" becomes "had seen" and "this" becomes "that".

My sister asked me if I had paid attention at that time.

The reporting verb said to becomes asked, the question form is replaced by an if-clause, and the simple past did pay shifts to the past perfect had paid.

Yangma said that I was her source of inspiration in life.

The reporting verb is in the past, so are changes to was, and you and my change to I and her to suit the reported speaker and listener.

The teacher asked the students if they had submitted their assignment.

The reporting verb becomes asked, the yes/no question is introduced by if (or whether), word order becomes that of a statement, and have submitted shifts to had submitted.

She asked me if I could tell her where the market street was.

The reporting verb becomes asked, the question is joined by if, me becomes her and the embedded clause is shifts to was; could stays unchanged.

The class teacher advised the student not to ignore his study.

Alternatively: The class teacher told the student that he must not ignore his study. The reporting verb "said" changes to "advised"/"told", the pronoun "your" changes to "his/her", and the order is given as advice.

Students asked the principal whether he could manage extra classes through virtual process.

For a yes/no question, "said to" changes to "asked", "whether/if" joins the clause, the question becomes a statement order, "can" becomes "could" and "you" becomes "he/she" (the principal).