Tshering Namgyal | Mongar

Residents of Yadi satellite town in Mongar are grappling with the mounting waste.

Business communities and residents said with increasing waste from shops and residences and lack of space to dump waste became a challenge.

They said the existing landfill site at Nyamey, on the Yadi- Sherimung gewog centre road, about three kilometres away from the town, is overused.

A shopkeeper said there would be no space to throw waste as the existing one is filled. “We’re wondering where to throw it after that.”

The present landfill site has some space, but wastes have been scattered in the area and even on the roads.




Ngatshang gewog officials said waste is a pressing issue for Yadi town and the gewog administration is working towards addressing the issue.

Ngatshang gewog administrative officer, Phub Tshering, said the issue is not with the space as wastes are thrown all over the road and not in the landfill.

“It’s due to lack of individual responsibility and monitoring,” he said.

With the absence of surveillance facility, he said it was difficult for the gewog to monitor amid other developmental works.




However, he said gewog is planning to deploy excavator after the budget for the new financial year is endorsed by the gewog tshogde (GT) that is scheduled to be held towards the end of July.

With no separate budget for the satellite town, he said gewog has been conservatively managing wastes from emergency response grants the gewog has kept aside. “We have just received the budget and it has to be endorsed by the dzongkhag tshogdu.”

He said the gewog faced a similar problem last year and had to hire an excavator for one day to dump the wastes thrown along the road.

Gewog officials said with no proper guideline for gewog or thromde to look after the satellite town although it falls under the dzongkhag thromde, it was challenging to take care of the developmental activities in the town with a fixed budget for gewog development activities.

Residents said they are deprived of any infrastructures for town although they pay taxes like other towns.




A shopkeeper said the bar license fee and business taxes are charged equal to Mongar town rate. “But we don’t have infrastructures like proper waste collector and toilet, and the streetlights need to be restored.”

Until last year, the business community appointed a person to collect waste and throw at the landfill after paying some charges on a mutual understanding. This year, nobody came forward to do the job.

Yadi town has more than 20 shops and about 250 residents including those staying on rent.