Surkhet, the capital of Karnali province, is a key gateway to destinations like Humla, Jumla, and Simikot. This growing urban area features a picturesque landscape similar to the Kathmandu Valley, characterized by clustered concrete structures nestled amidst hills and greenery on the outskirts. Renowned as a hub for various international and national non-governmental organizations, Surkhet is a bustling center of developmental activities.

Despite the beautiful serenity, beautiful landscape, and warm-hearted people, Surkhet faces a significant issue with Municipal Solid Waste. Upon arriving in Surkhet on October 29th, I was captivated by the scenic view from the flight, featuring lush green fields. However, Soon after I walked out of the airport, I saw a pile of open waste burning consisting of plastics and papers.

During my autorickshaw journey to the hotel, I noticed a couple more piles of waste burning. The following day, as I delved into my research, I noticed many itinerant buyers travelling on cycles with heaps of recyclable materials barely able to hang at the rear. Generally, people from Madhesh Province are mostly involved as itinerant buyers or cycle hawkers commonly referred to as ‘kawadi’. I initially imagined Surkhet a bit different from any other place of far west but as I explored the rural wards, the commercial wards, institutions, and stakeholders; it turned out to be like Kathmandu Valley.

Initially envisioning Surkhet as distinct from other far-western places, my exploration of rural wards, commercial areas, institutions, and stakeholders revealed a similarity to the waste challenges faced by the Kathmandu Valley.

Here are the stories I captured:

In a conversation with the owner of Surkhet's second-largest scrap center, I discovered that urbanization has been on the rise, leading to a gradual shift in waste composition. Nowadays, he receives a higher volume of metals and iron. He employs seven itinerant buyers who sometimes even travels to neighboring districts to collect recyclables. To run a informal recycling sector is hard but he enjoys his work, as he feels that he is helping the environment and also making money off of it.

I visited the landfill situated in ward 1 of the municipality and talked with a few waste pickers. Most of them have been working in this sector for only about couple of years. It is easy to be involved in this sector and does not require many skills but there are risks of bruises, cuts, musculoskeletal pain if one does not focus on occupational safety measures.

I had the opportunity to interview KP Dhakal, a biogas energy expert who recently entered the waste management sector. He set up a biogas plant on the outskirts of the municipality and is actively encouraging fuel-powered autorickshaws to switch to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG). Dhakal collects organic waste from the vegetable market and nearby households to produce biogas. He envisions that the biogas generated from his plant will contribute to the transition towards green energy in Surkhet.

Surkhet stands as a city of immense beauty and untapped potential. Yet, it becomes important to actively engage in efforts aimed at resource preservation to uphold the city's dignity and sustain its dignity and nature.