KATHMANDU: More than 200 private companies, NGOs and individuals currently involved in garbage collection in Kathmandu and Lalitpur are unauthorised, officials at the Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC), said here today. Chitra Sunuwar, an official at the Environment Management Department (EMD), KMC, said that the unregistered collectors are extracting money illegally from the households. “There are only 26 organisations and individuals registered at KMC and SWMRMC who are authorised to collect the garbage. But we have detected more than 200 others who do not have registration in our office,” he said. Sunuwar said the garbage collectors from individual households need prior registration and should pay taxes to the concerned authorities. According to Sunuwar, each firm or individual collects waste from 500 to 15,000 households in their respective areas and earns up to Rs 2 million on monthly basis. However, Krishna Prasad Mainali, head of Gaurishankar Sarsafai Abhiyan in Kathmandu, one of the organisations involved in garbage collection said, “We started working in the field after KMC appealed us.” “We’ve not paid any special taxes except service charges for the KMC,” he added. Devendra Pokhrel at the KMC, however, said the unregistered groups not only evade tax but also negligently throw refuse everywhere. He said that the unregistered groups are also illegally using KMC vehicles to ferry garbage, without paying taxes. “Recently, we have warned our drivers not to resort to such illegal activities,” he added. Dr Sumitra Amatya, general manager at the SWMRMC said the unregistered NGOs and private organisations have strongly been lobbying against the government decision to involve private sector in constructing refuse-fuelled plants.

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