A one-day interactive workshop was recently organized in Budhanilkantha Municipality to share the achievements of the Rural Self-Reliance Development Centre (RSDC) under the Womenpreneurs4Plastic (W4P) project, outlining the responsibilities of Janasoochana Swawlamban Environment Conservation Cooperative Ltd., and discussing the ongoing challenges in plastic waste management. The workshop also aimed at engaging local representatives and government bodies and advocating for the integration of these initiatives into the municipality’s upcoming annual work plan.
The workshop was held under the chief patronship of Hon. Jayram Thapa, Minister for Labor, Employment, and Transport of Bagmati Province, and chaired by Ms. Anita Lama, Deputy Mayor of Budhanilkantha Municipality. Mayor Mr. Mitharam Adhikari also attended the opening session. The program took place at the municipal hall and brought together local representatives, Chief Administrative Officer, heads of municipal departments including the Environment Section, cooperative leaders and members, as well as RSDC management committee members and staff.
The program was facilitated by Ms. Bhagarati Bhatt, Secretary of the cooperative, while the cooperative Chairperson, Ms. Gyanu Thapa, welcomed all participants. RSDC Executive Chief Mr. Shiva Prasad Bashyal provided an overview of the workshop’s objectives, and Project Coordinator Mr. Narayan Niraula presented the project’s achievements, opportunities, and challenges.
Hon. Minister Jayram Thapa, the Chief Guest, praised the W4P project’s practices and accomplishments in Budhanilkantha as exemplary. He emphasized the need for the municipality to institutionalize these practices within its policies and programs and directed officials to prepare proposals outlining the types of support required from the provincial government. The Minister also expressed his commitment to facilitating provincial-level support for the municipality’s plastic waste management initiatives.
Ward Chairperson of Ward No. 2, Mr. Rajendra Shrestha, highlighted RSDC’s key role in mobilizing the community and institutionalizing waste management practices through the cooperative. He shared insights on the project’s inception, challenges faced, and successful implementation, emphasizing that the lessons learned from this initiative could serve as a model for research and study for organizations, local governments, and students engaged in plastic waste management and environmental conservation. He further committed to ensuring that future municipal programs support and strengthen cooperative-led initiatives.
Executive Chief Mr. Shiva Prasad Bashyal informed participants of RSDC’s policy to gradually transfer management of the Womenpreneurs4Plastic project in Ward No. 2 to Janasoochana Swawalamban Environment Conservation Cooperative Ltd., and confirmed that RSDC has been actively supporting the cooperative to assume full responsibility.
It is noteworthy that RSDC facilitated the formation of this cooperative. Under its institutional framework, cooperative members now collect, purchase, and sell plastic and other waste directly from households. Infrastructure for waste collection and recycling under cooperative ownership has been established, and in the near future, the cooperative will lead ongoing operations and services to ensure sustainability and scalability of the project’s outcomes.