Garbage collection has been disrupted since Tuesday, after the Supreme Court issued an interim order prohibiting the dumping of waste along the banks of the Danda Khola in Siddharthanagar.

A joint bench of Justices Hari Prasad Phuyal and Shanti Singh Thapa on Friday issued the order in response to a writ petition filed by advocate Bibek Bakhrel and law student Anjali Silwal on March 30, seeking a halt to waste dumping, citing foul smell and pollution caused by unmanaged disposal.

They named the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, the Ministry of Forests and Environment, the Department of Environment, the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Environment of Lumbini Province, and Siddharthanagar Municipality as defendants.

Residents of Darkhaswa had been protesting, saying the stench made it difficult to stay indoors, while dumping along the riverbank affected the environment and disrupted travel along the Butwal–Belahiya section.

Dumping near the river bridge between Devkota Chowk in Bhairahawa and the Nepal–India border point at Belahiya had made movement difficult. Tourists arriving from India were among the worst affected, with people forced to cover their noses while crossing the bridge.

On March 31, during the preliminary hearing, Justice Bal Krishna Dhakal issued a show-cause order to the defendants and summoned them for a hearing on the interim order, which was issued after the hearing.

For the past month, the municipality had been urging residents to segregate biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste to address the problem, sending letters to businesses and social organisations.

On Tuesday morning, the municipality issued a notice via social media asking residents not to dump waste on roads until further arrangements are made, and to manage it by separating biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste and storing it in sacks or plastic bags.

With dumping halted, concerns have grown over waste piling up in homes.

The Organisation of Hotel and Restaurant, Rupandehi, also issued a notice on Monday, urging its members to safely collect and manage waste within their premises.

Association president Rajesh Mahotra urged businesses to segregate and manage waste.

“We request all to remain sensitive to environmental cleanliness and health standards,” the statement read. “Efforts are underway to resolve the waste management problem soon, and we urge all businesses to cooperate.”

Janak Thapa, chief administrative officer of Siddharthanagar Municipality, said discussions on alternative waste management measures had begun even before the court order. A meeting of municipal representatives is scheduled for Tuesday to discuss the issue.

“We are considering managing waste by identifying municipal land as an alternative to Danda Khola,” he said. “All wards are positive about this.”

He added that residents have been urged to separate biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste at the household level to reduce waste generation.

“The court order has forced us to find a quick alternative,” he said.