Kathmandu, January 26

Chief executives of municipalities, including Kathmandu Metropolitan City and Lalitpur Sub-metropolitan City, in Kathmandu Valley today conducted an inspection of Okharpauwa-based Sisdol landfill site, Nuwakot to take stock of its present status.

The Valley produces an average of 1,000 tonnes of garbage daily, and nearly 70 per cent of it is disposed in the landfill site. A study conducted by JICA in 2005 had suggested that around 350 tonnes of waste could be disposed of in the landfill site daily for another 23 years. According to the Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development, the landfill site will not be able to hold waste for long as it is close to saturation point.

Stating that waste management had gradually become more challenging, the ministry had recently directed chief executives of all 22 municipalities of the Valley to visit the only landfill site and come up with a solution. The team also inspected an under-construction landfill siteat Bancharedanda on the border of Nuwakot and Dhading districts. The project spreads across Chatredeurali VDC-9 of Dhading and Okharpauwa VDC-4 of Nuwakot, and is expected to assist the Valley in achieving sustainable waste management.

A press release issued by Ashok Ghimire, press coordinator of Minister for Federal Affairs and Local Development Minister Hitraj Pandey,  said the construction of new landfill site would be completed within two years. The under-construction landfill site will be capable of holding waste produced in the Valley for at least 20 years after its completion. The government has acquired 1,792 ropanis of land for the development of necessary infrastructure at an estimated budget of Rs 2.45 billion. A six-kilometre access road has already been constructed to the landfill site.

Meanwhile, Solid Waste Management Technical Support Centre has started conducting feasibility study for construction of sustainable landfill sites in Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur.