Despite various efforts and initiatives, the Paro district is still struggling to manage its wastes. Officials say it is because of the lack of public support while the COVID-19 pandemic has made things worse.
As one of the main entry gates for tourists, a clean, waste-free Paro has always been a priority for the dzongkhag. In 2019, the district adopted the zero-waste policy. Under this, various activities such as regular cleaning campaigns, identification of proper waste disposal sites as well as a scheduled collection of wastes were initiated. However, all these initiatives have not been able to address Paro’s waste problem.
Along with increasing population and developmental activities, officials say it is also because of the lack of support from the people.
“People illegally dump wastes in odd places late at night. Then dogs scatter it everywhere. this is one reason why we are facing waste management challenges. To achieve the district’s goal of zero waste, we need cooperation from everyone,” said Kinley Gyeltshen, Senior Dzongrab of the district.
Officials say the ongoing pandemic has also disrupted their efforts in keeping the district clean. With the waste issue growing by the day, officials say they decided to carry out a mass cleaning campaign. Over 20 truckloads of wastes were collected during the campaign.
We can clearly make out from the wastes collected today that the wastes are mostly from the town. If there is a proper dump bin then I think this won’t be a problem,” said Changlo, a resident of the district.
“It is mostly chips wrappers, women’s sanitary pads, and baby Huggies. People also dump their old clothes. It is properly packed in sacks,” added Dawa Tshering, another resident.
“We understand that people might not be able to comply with our collection timing all the time. So we collect wastes that are dumped all around. But it doesn’t seem to be the case. People continue to do it all the time,” added Pema Wangda, another resident.
The dzongkhag municipality says they are in the process of procuring additional dumpster trucks which will help ease the waste management issue. But officials said people also need to play their part if the waste problem is to be addressed properly.
Namgay Wangchuk, Paro
