Locals protest after garbage piled up at the crematorium

POKHARA: Locals have protested against the increase in garbage at Setighat in Gagangonda of Pokhara Metropolitan City-32.

Initially, it was agreed to bury the infected body safely but now the locals are angry saying that the body is being cremated and there is a lot of garbage on the wharf.

Ward Chairman Akkal Bahadur Karki said that a lot of PPE, medical gloves and ropes were tied around the wharf in an unorganized manner.

"It simply came to our notice then. But now they have started to be careless. They started burning, 'he said,' The metropolis has also formed a team to manage the garbage there. But, the work has not been done. '

Karki has complained that the metropolis has formed a team a month ago to manage the garbage of the ghat and has also informed the district level covid control committee but no action has been taken.

'Garbage piled up. The team was formed after Mayor Saab was informed that the stench was coming. It has been a month now, the work has not been done, 'said Ward Chairman Karki,' We have already taken the CDO Saab three days ago. He must be thinking something! '

Karki said that they only allowed burial at the beginning but now they have started burning it. 'The locals believe that it will be buried far away from the settlement. It was also agreed to make arrangements for burning at their own ward, 'he said.' We did not protest. There was no dirt or stench from there. '

Locals had protested at the pier while managing the body of a man who died from corona in June last year. People's representatives, including locals, had protested by burning tires on the road saying that they were managing the body of an infected person near the settlement.

As the dispute escalated, eight rounds of aerial fire had to be fired to control the crowd. Locals have stopped protesting after the discussion of the Metropolitan and District Covid Control Committee. Since then, the bodies of more than 400 infected people have been managed at the wharf.

 Let's see tomorrow: Deputy Mayor

The metropolis has informed that they have received information about the pile of garbage at the mortuary and are preparing to go for monitoring on Tuesday. Manju Devi Gurung, coordinator and deputy chief of the metropolitan level covid control main committee, said that garbage may have accumulated when there were many bodies.

'I don't know about garbage. But, the information has come. Even though there are a lot of corpses, garbage may have accumulated, 'said Gurung, the deputy chief of the metropolis. She said the crematorium was located on the riverbank, so garbage may have accumulated.

Gurung said that the metropolis did not allow cremation. "We have arranged a dozer and two tippers for burying the bodies. We have instructed to bury as many bodies as possible. We will see what happens tomorrow (Tuesday), 'she said.