Kathmandu, October 7

Disposal of waste is set to resume in full swing from tomorrow with Kathmandu Metropolitan City reaching an agreement with garbage truck drivers.

Garbage truck drivers of Kagatigaun, Nuwakot, had stopped transporting waste yesterday, demanding that they be allowed to dump waste at the Okharpauwa landfill site even after 2:00pm every day.

KMC Environment Division Chief Rabin Man Shrestha said drivers agreed resume transportation of garbage after KMC expressed its commitment to allow them to dump waste even after 2:00pm. KMC trucks carry waste to the Sisdol dumping site by 2:00pm everyday.

Earlier, locals had obstructed KMC garbage trucks from dumping waste at the landfill site for a week in September. They had agreed to allow resumption of garbage disposal at the site after Kathmandu Metropolitan City expressed commitment to address their demands gradually.

KMC said although there were more than 20 municipalities in Kathmandu Valley, it alone took the blame for not managing waste properly.

A study by Alternative Energy Promotion Centre said Kathmandu Metropolitan City, Lalitpur Sub-Metropolitan City, Bhaktapur Municipality, Madhyapur Thimi Municipality, Kirtipur Municipality and Kalimati fruit and vegetable market alone produce 331 tonnes urban waste daily. After daily collection of waste at Teku, more than 20 trucks carry waste to Okharpauwa landfill site.

The government had begun dumping waste produced in Kathmandu Valley at the Okharpauwa landfill 13 years ago.