18th Oct. 2011 (LAHURNIP)
By Dilip S. Kulung
Indigenous communities at Dangrah in Morang district finally have decided to protest against much-hyped landfill site construction project, stating that the project is to displace many of them from their traditional land. The project will have adverse impact on environment, health, culture and spiritual matters.
With the view to collect the garbage from Itahari, Dharan and Biratnagar municipality, the Biratnagar Sub-Metropolitcan City, in financial assistance from Finland government was going to set up a landfill site at Dangraha, 5, worth Rs. 590 million. The Finland government and Nepal government is agreed to bear the cost Rs. 440 million and 150 million respectively.
FPIC alliance, VDC chapter of Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (NEFIN), an umbrell organization of Nepalese Indigenous Peoples’ Organization and local indigenous communities jointly have been taking to the street.
It has been informed that the Biratnagar Sub-Metropolitan City already bought 25-Bigha land for the project.
According to the agitating indigenous communities, the government authorities did not obtain free, prior and informed consent, as provisioned in the international laws, namely ILO convention 169 and UNDRIP that Nepal government is party to.
“We will not let government construct the site here at any cost, because, the landfill site is going to displace many of us from our traditional land and spreading the pollution,” said, Renukar Choudhary said, a member of struggle committee, adding, “The goverment officials first had to consult with us and take consent from us, prior to initiate the project.”
Choudhary further said that they would submit the memorandum to the Prime Minister through the Chief District Office of Morang district and also draw the attention of international communities. If the government fails to pay any heed to them and their demands, they will lodget the case in the Court and equally in the international human rights mechanisms.
They demand officials first consult with them, breif them about various aspects of the project (both the benefits and negative impacts), conduct Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and seek consent from them.
FPIC alliance in morang district along with 19 other districts, were formed after a tripatiate dialogue workshop on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples over lands, territories and natural resources, jointly organized by Lawyers’ Association for Human Rights of Nepalese Indigenous Peoples (LAHURNIP) and Nepal Foundation for Development of Indigenous Nationalities (NFDIN) in March 2011.
