Pokhara, July 22:

Most of the vehicles of Pokhara Sub-Metropolitan City (PSM) used in garbage collection were garaged today due to the shortage of fuel. Only three of the nine vehicles used in garbage management could ply today.

"Six of our nine garbage collecting vehicles have been garaged due to the lack of fuel," Ram Bahadur KC, chief at Sanitation Section of the PSM, said.

KC said that the PSM could collect only 30 per cent of the garbage from the city with its three operational vehicles.

"The collection of sanitation fee from locals was also affected, as the PSM could not collect all city garbage today," KC added.

Locals have refused to pay sanitation fee to the PSM, saying that the garbage was not being collected regularly.

PSM has deployed nine staffers to collect sanitation fee from the locals.

According to Khem Bahadur Bhandari, environment officer at PSM, Pokhara produces 46 tonnes of garbage every day. The sub-metropolis is dumping the garbage in a landfill site at PSM-18 for the last four years.

"PSM has been investing Rs 20 million every year to manage garbage produced in the city. We decided to collect sanitation fee from this year to better manage the garbage collection process," Shiv Hari Sharma, tax officer at PSM, said. The sub-metropolis has some 40,000 households.