Some observations by Dr. Neelam Pradhananga, Clean up Nepal global coordinator during yesterdays cleanup in Kathmandu. ------ Clean up at Ward 23: Some observations from the ground Members of our Clean up Nepal team and I were involved in a cleanup yesterday morning at Ward 23 (See figure 1). We supported the efforts of Ganapati Lal Shrestha and other members of the community along with Nepal army personnel and KMC staff. The ward was cleaned by four groups. Each group was allocated a route. This route, determined by the community, weaved in and out of streets, gallis (alleyways), and semi-public chowks (courtyards). The cleanup started at 8am and finished at 9.30am, was fairly efficient and effective. This cleanup took place after Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) announced a city-wide cleanup in preparation for SAARC. Clean up Nepal supported cleanups at 17 out of the 35 wards in Kathmandu. Some of my observations on community engagement and how to go about creating an environment for this: 1. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: Some members of the community in Ward 23 care about their neighborhood and are actively involved in its improvement. Sadly, I also observed that the majority of the community didnt join in the cleanup even though KMC had requested one individual from each household to participate. People would watch us from the windows as we cleaned, picked up rubbish. As I was cleaning, I wondered why this is the case. The apathy of renters-- a growing and significant proportion of the population in the core areas of Kathmandu--is often cited as one of the reasons for a lack of citizen participation. Whilst acknowledging that ones sense of responsibility and duty would increase depending on whether one owns or rent, I would have thought that all of us want a clean environment. Not many of us want to live in filth, rubbish and the incessant stink that is associated with this. If this is the case, if we can highlight the direct correlation between no littering and a cleaner environment for all, can we make some headway? Fair enough, the streets may be littered by not just members of the community but also passersby but what about the litter in the chowks? These semi-public but largely private courtyards are filthy. Cigarette butts are a major culprit as are two-minute noodle wrappers, single-use plastic bags, dog , construction waste, and pooling stagnant water. I am pretty certain no one would go into a chowk and say Right, this is where I am going to litter. The litter in these chowks are created by the households around these chowks, and for some reason, they are ok to live in this mess. This worries me. As a start, even if we could just generate greater interest from the community, we would make considerable progress. I asked the community members actively leading the cleanup yesterday how often such cleanups (detailed) are undertaken by the community. Not frequently enough was the reply. They suggested that weekly cleanups would help because it would not only clean the area but also make the community realise that these cleanups are for their benefit and that they should partake in them. The first few weeks, community members may be hesitant to join in but then word will spread that the cleanup is not just for show but is very much part of a growing movement that acknowledges the role of us in doing our part (not littering is a start) to not add to the problem,i.e., the complex waste management issues in the Kathmandu valley. A meeting was organised at the Ward No 23 office after the cleanup yesterday and these issues were discussed. The result: The Ward No 23 community will organize weekly cleanups in coordination with the KMC ward office and Clean up Nepal will support this initiative. In addition, Clean up Nepal will also look at mapping waste management related issues of this ward in relation to (i) waste collection points and collection times [Waste collection points become small dumping sites, are unsightly and visually disturbing] (ii) awareness raising and community engagement (iii) creating a structure for these regular cleanup activities and (iv) stakeholders involved in waste management, among others. I wonder if there is a way we can involve students of environment science in this mapping process. There will be a lot of learn, no doubt, from this ward. 2. CREATING AN ENVIRONMENT FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT Haphazard littering is a visible issue that could be improved many times fold with little capital investment. Improvements could take place with the concerted efforts of all stakeholders, greater coordination, respect for the constraints faced, and a commitment to working towards a shared goal. I am not sure what it is like in the other wards but there is a significant gap between local government (in this case, KMC) and the community. This gap must be bridged if we are to tackle some of the pressing issues in our neighborhoods. So how do we get the community to care? For this, I feel a greater respect for each other is must. Our next steps need to be action-oriented. Too many people have spoken and made promises. After many broken promises, our communities have stopped caring. They will only participate if they believe that there is a genuine, ongoing commitment from all stakeholders. Ward No 23 will organise a meeting with KMC and other community organisations in the area to discuss how to address this. The other very evident issue in cleaning an area is protection for those who participate. Gloves and masks are a must. Cleaning in Kathmandus context does not just involve picking up a plastic bag or a scrap of paper. Kathmandu is a city in construction. Roads are being constructed, potholes mended, old houses are groaning for a lack of maintenance, crumbling walls. Cleaning equipment provided by KMC include chwaphis (a Nepali-style broom- see figure 2), shovels and dokos (see figure 3). Gloves and masks are the responsibility of the members of the community. The gloves used by the community are generally surgical gloves (figure 4) and surgical masks (see figure 5). These surgical gloves tear easily. A two-hour cleanup would require at least a few pairs of these gloves. My concern is that these gloves and masks are disposable, which means they end up in landfill somewhere plus the community has to purchase them on an ongoing basis. Is anyone aware of reusable, washable and reasonably priced gloves and masks that could be purchased by the community, so that it is a one-time investment?
Posted on: Sun, 23 Nov 2014 01:51:42 +0000
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