Waste management continues to be a challenge in most parts of the country. In Narphoong of Samdrup Jongkhar, residents are facing difficulty due to the lack of a proper waste disposal site. Today, it is a common sight to see waste piled up near the shops or along the road in the small town.
There are also some people who are serious about waste management. A shopkeeper in Narphoong, Cheki, stores all her waste in a separate room. She takes it to the landfill in Samdrup Jongkhar, about 60 kilometres from her home.
“I don’t throw wastes here and there. I take them to Samdrup Jongkhar town. Since some are reusable, I segregate and sell them. Managing waste is getting difficult; it would be great if we have a waste disposal site here (Narphoong),” she said.
Like her, most of the other residents also stockpile their wastes. Many do it along the roadsides while some just dump it around without a care.
“Currently, we take our garbage to Samdrup Jongkhar town. Sometimes, we take waste in our car but sometimes we even hire vehicles to take the waste there,” said a resident.
“It is not convenient for us to take the wastes till Samdrup Jongkhar town. Managing waste is challenging,” added another.
The town of about only 20 people falls partly under Gomdar Gewog and partly under Orong. A proposal to construct a landfill was made by the Gomdar Gewog Administration in 2019. It was dropped after the public and the Department of Forests objected on grounds that it would damage the environment. Meanwhile, the dzongkhag administration said they were not aware of the situation nor did they receive any complaints.
Kinley Wangchuk, Samdrup Jongkhar
Edited by Sangay Chezom
