Stop Obstructing Waste Disposal

The disposal of waste generated in the Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) has again come to a halt as more than 14 vehicles carrying the garbage were vandalised by unidentified groups at Altar of Sisdole village in Nuwakot Monday night. This has exacerbated the waste management problem in the KMC. The capital city's streets have already been strewn with garbage after it stopped disposing it, citing that the road leading to newly constructed Banchare Danda Sanitary Landfill Site was damaged by the monsoon rains about a month ago. KMC officials are not sure about the resumption of garbage collection. They claim that some local businessmen and middlemen related to waste management and infrastructure construction near the landfill site have been obstructing the efforts to properly dispose waste so as to fail KMC’s new leadership team.

About 3.32 million people in 18 municipalities of the Kathmandu Valley generate more than 1,200 tonnes of waste daily. Most of it is dumped at the landfill site while some households burnt it at sources. But the waste management has remained a perennial problem because no successive governments have been able to resolve it in a sustainable manner. There has been a significant change in people's perception of sanitation and solid waste management in the last 30 years. Still the general attitude of the society is yet to change. Many people understand the problems and opportunities of solid waste management but they lack will and determination to translate their perception into action. Many people think that waste can be thrown anywhere but not in their backyard. Similarly, the metropolises in the Valley have not received desired amount of support from the federal government and the denizens to solve the garbage issue. In 2011, Nepal government introduced legal provisions to treat waste as resources.

With 1.52 million people, Kathmandu, the capital of the nation, has challenge to maintain its cultural identity and natural beauty along with embracing the path of modernisation but much to its dismay, it has become one of the most polluted cities in the world. And the chronic garbage problem has affected its image. It produces more than 800 tonnes of solid waste daily. Interestingly, about 79 per cent of the waste is collected and transported by the private sector. Several efforts and alternatives have been sought to manage it but no functional plans have been made and implemented for its durable management.  

Experts on solid waste management have suggested for adopting 3R formula- reducing, reusing, and recycling – for the waste management. This holds potential for resource recovery to the government, which could be realised with better public awareness, initiatives by the local bodies and communities. Now the political parties and their elected representatives should cooperate with the metropolis to dump the trash at the newly built landfill site without obstacles. Some parties have been accused of instigating the locals into putting up new demands, many of which could never be met. It is rational that all stakeholders should sit together to negotiate and solve the demands of people affected by the landfill site. While the environmental and health problems need to be duly addressed, road infrastructure should be upgraded. This problem cannot be ignored at any cost.