Gokarneshwor Municipality uses new technology for waste management

By Nagendra Sapkota, Kathmandu, Apr. 13: At a time while waste management is becoming a challenge in the urban areas, Gokarneshwor Municipality of Kathmandu has initiated managing waste with modern technology.

In order to manage the household waste in a pollution-free manner, the municipality has installed a waste incinerator machine of Japanese technology and brought it into operation.

Gokarneshwor Municipality informed that the work of burning out the garage coming out of the houses in a smokeless manner has been initiated with the financial support from the municipality itself and Hita Heavy Machinery and Recycle Pvt. Ltd.

“Gokarneshwor Municipality has become the first municipality to manage garbage in such a manner,” claimed Santosh Chalise, Mayor of the Gokarneshwor Municipality said with this initiation, “Full operation of the Incinerator machine is underway.”

He said that if the other three such machines can be installed in other different areas then it will bring the overall solution to waste management in the municipality. The machine has been installed in a non-settlement area of Gokarneshwor Municipality-6.

The waste incinerator machine was brought at 50 million two years ago with the support of Japan. Mayor Chalise, said, “The machine was brought to Nepal by looking at the efficacy with which it is managing wastage in Japan.”

According to him, in this method, all the waste, that can be burnt, from each household will be asked to store in a garbage bag provided by the municipality. Then, vehicles from the municipality will collect waste door to door. All the waste collected by the vehicles will be put in the waste Incinerator machine along with the garbage bag, which then will burn waste pollution-free.

Waste will be burnt at 960 degrees Celsius without smoke. The machine will filter the smoke from waste and let it out as a form of vapour after purifying smoke.  One kilo of ash will come out while burning 100 kilos of waste and that waste can be used for making bricks, after mixing it with cement and sand.

He said, "Bricks made from this way can be stronger than the slope when spread on the road. Similarly, vapour can also be used, for that, a different technology is needed. However, that technology is not brought as of now".

Darshan Pudasaini, Manager at the Hita Heavy Machinery and Recycle Pvt. Ltd said that hot water coming out from the 1.5-inch pipe from the machine can be used as seasonings in the swimming pools and furniture industry.

He said, "Machine can burn 25 tons of both compostable and non-compostable waste. The machine works by drying waste and then burning it. However, it will not impact the environment."

Baikuntha Sapkota, Chief Administrative Officer at the Municipality said that at times when managing waste has become difficult, this new method definitely can manage waste pollution-free."

He said that the municipality conducted a trial and the result have been effective.