Kathmandu, November 16

Kathmandu Metropolitan City and other stakeholders have decided to request Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba to take initiative for the establishment of a permanent landfill site to manage solid waste produced in the Valley.

According to KMC, all municipalities and rural municipalities in Kathmandu Valley have demanded closure of the Okharpauwa landfill site.

Joint Spokesperson at KMC Namaraj Dhakal said Mayor Bidya Sundar Shakya was set to talk to PM regarding construction of a permanent landfill site.  “As the PM is busy in election campaign, we have not been able to put the matter before him. However, KMC mayor has decided to request the PM to either to construct a permanent landfill site or seek a temporary solution to garbage management at the earliest,” Dhakal said.

Due to lack of permanent landfill site, KMC has been dumping waste collected from the Kathmandu Valley at Okharpauwa landfill site in Nuwakot. Although, the landfill site was initially brought into operation only for two years, KMC has been dumping waste at the site for the last 13 years.

A study by Alternative Energy Promotion Centre said KMC, Lalitpur Sub-Metropolitan City, Bhaktapur Municipality, Madhyapur Thimi Municipality, Kirtipur Municipality and Kalimati fruit and vegetable market alone produce 331 tonnes urban waste daily.