Capital's waste transported with security escorts

By A Staff Reporter Kathmandu, May 8: Garbage transportation, which has been blocked since April 24, started on Saturday. The Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC), along with the Nepal Police and the Armed Police Force, has normalised the transportation of garbage.

According to Sarita Rai, acting head of the Environment and Agriculture Department of KMC, this is the third time that the locals have blocked the transportation of garbage by demanding road construction.

“The problem was compounded when the agitating party refused to allow the transportation of garbage trucks asking various demands during the discussion on May 5,” she said.

Rai said, “After this, we felt the need of security forces to transport the waste. We informed the Home Ministry about the situation and asked for help. Today, Nepal Police and Armed Police Force have been deployed for the security of the road section from Mudkhu to Tin Piple.” Police were mobilised throughout the day. By 10:30 am, garbage from about 146 trucks was dumped. There are plans to transport garbage all day on Saturday, Rai informed.

Earlier, the locals had obstructed the road for the second time since April 1 demanding the road be blacktopped. After the road construction company expressed its commitment to continue the blacktopping work, garbage was transported only in the morning to make the work easier since April 10.

Garbage collection could not be done for 33 days in March and April due to obstruction by the locals. The Department has been urging the people of the metropolis to help by managing the organic waste at home. Rai, said that there was a plan to collect degradable and non-degradable waste on separate days.

The Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers had formed a high-level committee under the coordination of the Urban Development Minister on March 10 after the locals in Sisdol obstructed the transportation of garbage with demands including road construction. A committee has been formed to implement the previous commitments, facilitate the operation of the site, and coordinate and monitor the landfill site.

On Saturday, the Rapid Action Task Force was formed under the coordination of the chief administrative officer of the KMC. This force has been formed to facilitate on-site conditions for waste management and to facilitate the solution to legal and practical problems related to waste management. About 1,200 metric tonnes of waste generated daily from across the valley is managed at the landfill site. Of these, about 545 metric tonnes is generated from the Kathmandu metropolis.