KMC resumes garbage collection

Kathmandu, July 18

Kathmandu Metropolitan City today resumed garbage collection from the city’s streets.

Kathmandu Metropolitan City officials claimed that the garbage collected from streets would be transported to the Sisdol landfill site within a week.

Kathmandu Metropolitan City was unable to transport waste collected in the city due to poor condition of the access road to the landfill site after incessant rainfall. As a result, garbage had piled up on the streets, posing a serious risk to public health.

The waste transfer station at Teku had also been filled to its capacity. The transfer station can hold garbage collected in the valley only for four days.

Joint-spokesperson for Kathmandu Metropolitan City Nama Raj Dhakal said, “Although we have not completely fixed the access road, we have made temporary arrangements for transporting the waste to the landfill site.”

Head of Environment Division of Kathmandu Metropolitan City Hari Kunwar, however, said the problem could resurface and urged the government to make the permanent landfill site at Banchare Danda operational.

The government had purchased land at Banchare Danda, some 2.8 kilometre north of Sisdol, 10 years ago for constructing a landfill site.

Kathmandu Metropolitan City officials said that they need to build a 2.8-km road and three bridges to bring the landfill site into operation. However, only one bridge has been constructed at the site so far.