Supreme Court Summons Chief Secretary for Discussion on Kathmandu’s Waste Management

The Supreme Court has summoned high-level government officials, including the Chief Secretary, to discuss the ongoing challenges of waste management in the Kathmandu Valley.

A division bench of Justices Dr. Kumar Chundal and Mahesh Sharma Paudel issued the order, directing officials from the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, as well as secretaries from the Ministry of Forest and Environment and the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration, to appear before the court on March 24. Additionally, chief administrative officers from Kathmandu Metropolitan City, Lalitpur Metropolitan City, and Bhaktapur Municipality have also been called for the discussion.

The court order follows separate writ petitions filed by advocates Padam Bahadur Shrestha, on behalf of Effort Lab, and Bikram Mishra, against the Environment Ministry. The petitions highlighted the worsening waste management crisis in the Kathmandu Valley and urged the court to intervene by directing relevant government offices to adopt effective and sustainable solutions.

The Supreme Court’s intervention signals growing concern over the capital’s mounting waste disposal issues, with expectations for authorities to present concrete strategies during the court hearing.