Kathmandu, July 16

With landslides and road expansion projects obstructing travel from Kathmandu to Sisdol landfill site, the KMC has only been able to transport half of the city’s garbage to the landfill site.

While the KMC used to transport 300 tonnes of garbage daily in the past while collecting 450 to 500 tonnes of garbage daily, it only transports 110 to 150 tonnes a day lately.

The KMC said that at least four landslides have occurred daily along the 26 kilometres-road section from Teku Garbage Collection Center to Sisdol landfill site at Nuwakot. The road expansion project along the 15 km section between Balaju to Tinpiple has added to the problem.

Chief of Environment Management Division at KMC Rabin Man Shrestha said the disruption has limited garbage transport to less than 50 per cent daily. “Lately, we have only been able to run 11 to 15 trucks a day, when we used to run 30 trucks in the past.” he told The Himalayan Times.

A truck at the KMC has the capacity to carry 8 to 10 tonnes of garbage to the landfill site.

KMC owns 30 trucks, all above 10 years old. With the disruptions, the KMC now has had to deal with large reserves of garbage piling in the Teku Garbage Collection Center.

“At least 50 to 60 tonnes of garbage are reserved daily in the collection center,” Shrestha said, adding, “We are planning to load the trucks at its full capacity of 10 tonnes garbage each to resolve this problem.”