Kathmandu, September 13

Although the waste-to-energy plant arrived in Kathmandu two weeks ago, frequent public holidays have delayed the operation of the plant.

According to Integrated Sustainable Solid Waste Management Project, continuous holidays and festivals have delayed the operation of the plant.

“Public holidays have hit our work and we have been facing problems starting power generation,” said Rabinman Shrestha, chief of Environment Management Division at Kathmandu Metropolitan City office and director of the project, adding, “We were planning to start power generation before Dashain but we have only a few working days left before the festival.

This may further delay the operation of the plant.”

The KMC has already completed installation of waste-to-energy equipment, which was imported from Pune of Maharashtra, in Teku a week ago. The equipment arrived in Kathmandu in three separate heavy trucks on August 28.

The KMC is all set to start the feeding process in which waste materials will be put into the plant in the preliminary stage, which will last for 21 days. After the preliminary stage, the system will consume three tonnes of solid waste per day, producing 14 kilowatts of electricity.

According to the KMC, a five-member committee was formed to inspect the overall operation of the plant.

KMC Spokesperson Gyanendra Karki the KMC was planning to invite Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal to inaugurate the launch of the plant. The KMC initiative is part of a one-year pilot project supported by the European Union.

According to the metropolitan city office, the three machines cost Rs 18.20 million. The electricity generated by the plant will be used by the KMC office.

Besides, the KMC is planning to replicate the project in other municipalities if the one-year pilot project succeeds. The KMC hopes that the plant would also ease the problem of waste management in the Valley.

It said the project was just a preliminary effort to produce electricity from waste. Besides generating power, the KMC also plans to produce 96 kg gas, 300 kg bio-organic fertiliser, and 13,500 litres of purified water daily from the garbage collected at the Teku transfer station.

A total of 450 tonnes of garbage is produced in Kathmandu Valley every day.