Garbage piling in Kathmandu streets

There is piling of garbage in different places like Kalanki, New Baneshwor, Gaushala and many more places in Kathmandu city. The management of garbage is the challenging problem of Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC).

There is a garbage collection area near Baneshwor Chowk towards Shankhamool. Many shopkeepers have shops near the area. Uttam Thapa, who has a shop for seven years in that area says nobody takes away the garbage and it’s very hard to cope with the stench daily. Mensi Lama, a cosmetics shop proprietor complains that everybody thinks that it is the place to throw the garbage. She charges the vegetable sellers and fruit sellers for throwing garbage there. But vegetable seller Ambika Tamang denies the charge and said they throw their garbage in Metropolitan vehicles. Owner of KM Momo center, Sanjeev said due to the garbage, customers don’t come to his restaurant as expected.

Talking to Nepalnews, environmental chief of KMC, Indra Man Singh Suwal said around 300 tons garbage is produced daily in Kathmandu and KMC is able to manage only 90 percent of this. Around 100 vehicles and 1200 people work to collect and manage the garbage. Currently, 70% of garbage is being dumped at the Balkhu dumping site, while 30% is taken to the Okharpauwa site. KMC will dump all garbage at Okharpauwa after Tihar, Suwal added.

When asked about the garbage problems being faced by the people, Suwal says KMC is working to resolve the problems. KMC has a joint plan with others four municipalities Bhaktapur, Lalitpur, Madhyapur, Kirtipur with the help of Japanese Government aid, Suwal said. The project is a four phase program to clean the valley, he added.

Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) has a plan to do joint work for removing garbage at various places in Kathmandu with local different clubs and area improvement committees in the eve of major festivals like Dashain and Tihar, he said. Temples and public places will be cleaned more in these festivals, he added.

Suwal says garbage should not throw in the public places; people should carry it directly to the garbage collection vehicles. There is the lack of awareness of even educated people in throwing garbage on the streets, he added. He accepted that the private sector is also working to collect the garbage which is very positive step.

One solution is covered garbage collection containers in various places in the city, which can be hauled away by KMC vehicles. nepalnews.com sg Sep 22 05