Waste piling again in Kathmandu streets

Sharmila Pathak
KATHMANDU, Aug 9: Hardly a week has passed the littered Kathmandu streets were cleaned with the collection of garbage after a month of stench, the problem has recurred again.

Adding woes to the already afflicted Kathmanduities, the piles of garbage has even caused inconvenience to the commoners and vehicle.

However, Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) has maintained that the waste is being managed regularly in the recent days. Teku chowk is though piled up since Asar first week, it added.

Waste management is increasingly becoming a huge challenge for the Kathmandu Valley. The KMC has formed a five member committee under the chairmanship of Joint Secretary Ishwor Chandra Marahattha to seek short and long term measure for sustainable management of waste.

Joint Secretary Maharattha admitted that the waste was not collected in the Valley due to rains for three days, but it is resumed today.

According to KMC, Sisdol landfill site of Nuwakot will be used for waste management for coming six months. Although the acquisition of 1730 ropanis of land at Bancharedanda is complete for the new landfill site, further activity is halted.

The KMC is in dire need of alternative landfill site as the current Sisdol landfill site is being overflowed with garbage.

If the alternative is not ensured soon, the garbage problem will emerge again after three months, said Garbage Management Technical Assistance Centre, Bishwa Mani Gyawali.

A short term alternative should be ensured soon because it takes time to make ready Bancharedanda of Nuwakot as new landfill site.

Kathmandu Valley produces 1,000 metric tons of garbage every day, while KMC alone produces half it.