KMC expedites carrying away garbage accumulated for almost three weeks

The Kathmandu Metropolitan City has stated that all the garbage that has piled up by the roadsides for nearly three weeks in KMC and other local levels of Kathmandu Valley will be cleared within a week. However, the rain may hinder the transportation of waste to the landfill site.

The meeting held Tuesday among Kathmandu’s Chief District Officer (CDO) Kali Prasad Rijal, Director General of Roads Department and Senior Superintendent of Police in coordination with KMC Mayor Bidya Sundar Shakya, decided to remove the waste accumulated by the roadsides.

Information officer at the KMC office, Basanta Acharya told NepalNews that although the KMC has taken initiative to clear the roads and collect waste piled up at public places and roadsides it will take some time as we have a limited number of vehicles for carrying away the wastes to the landfill site. Earlier, the KMC’s Department of Environment had informed that about 15,000 metric tons of waste had accumulated as the garbage was not collected for a long time.

The garbage collection had halted due to monsoon-induced disasters on road. KMC’s Department of Environment Chief Hari Kumar Shrestha said that the Waste Management Division has already started collecting and carrying away the waste to the landfill sites. At the same time, the Department of Road has also been making preparation to repair the road to Sisdol. Shrestha told NepalNews that the rain not only damaged the road it also made the piles of wastes worse by making it wet and creating vapour that gives off an unpleasant smell. “If the waste piles up for a long time it will cause another health problem to the denizens of Kathmandu, so we have expedited the waste management,” Shrestha said.

According to Shrestha, KMC has been facing trouble in managing waste as the Sisdole landfill site which is in use for the past 13 years is now almost fully occupied to its capacity. He said that the KMC has taken stock of a long-term waste management site that is being constructed at Bancharedanda under the instruction of the Ministry of Urban Development.

Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) has urged the Ministry of Urban Development to facilitate garbage management by completing the construction of the first shell of an under-construction landfill site at Bancharedanda.

Meanwhile, the Information Officer at the Urban Development Ministry, Suresh Kumar Wagle has shared that the ministry is in preparation to hand over the first phase of the landfill site to KMC within a week after completing the construction works.

KMC Spokesperson Ishwarman Dangol said that 200 vehicles carried away the waste to the landfill site yesterday and also today. However, he said, it might take more time than a week if it rained again as it becomes difficult for the vehicles to gain access to the site.

Around 1,200 metric tons of garbage generated in Kathmandu Valley each day is managed at Sisdol constructed in 2006.