Kathmandu, September 19

With a view to effectively managing Kathmandu Valley’s waste during Dashain and Tihar, Kathmandu Metropolitan City is set to deploy around 700 sweepers and 100 drivers round-the-clock to collect and carry waste from across the Valley to the transfer centre at Teku from where it will be taken to the landfill site at Okharpauwa, Nuwakot, for disposal.

According to KMC, it has decided to provide extra salary and perks to sweepers and drivers to ensure that waste is managed properly during the festive season. Co-spokesperson for KMC Nama Raj Dhakal claimed that with the new arrangement in place, the Valley would not face problems related to waste management.

“KMC has to provide 15-month annual salaries to sweepers and an extra 50 per cent allowance to waste carrier drivers so that collection and disposal of waste is not hampered during festivals this year,” KMC Co-spokesperson Dhakal told The Himalayan Times.

Earlier, a week-long obstruction by locals of Okharpauwa had affected collection and disposal of the Valley’’s waste. Later, the protesting locals lifted their obstruction after KMC committed to address their demands on long and short-term bases.

KMC stated that it was still struggling to manage the huge amount of backlog garbage, with piles of waste yet to be removed from various places and roads across the Valley.

KMC said it would take four to five more days for the Valley’’s waste management to return to normal. “Since some 300 to 400 tonnes remain piled up at the Teku collection centre following the obstruction, KMC has been facing a tough time clearing garbage,” Dhakal further added.

Earlier, the government had chosen Okharpauwa to be used as landfill site for two years. It has planned a huge waste dumping site at Banchare Danda for the next 50 years. According to KMC, recurrent obstructions of waste disposal at the dumping site has remained a long-standing problem for the metropolis.

According to a study carried out by Alternative Energy Promotion Centre, KMC, Lalitpur Metropolitan City, Bhaktapur Municipality, Madhyapur Thimi Municipality and Kirtipur Municipality produce 331 tonnes urban waste daily. After daily collection of waste at the Teku waste collection centre, more than 20 municipal trucks carry waste to the Okharpauwa landfill site on a daily basis.