Dhangadhi's waste mgmt plant targets 30 years

BY ABINASH CHAUDHARY,Dhangadhi, Mar. 7: The modern waste management centre under construction in Patela of Dhangadhi Sub-Metropolitan City-7 has witnessed 65 per cent progress. 

According to the project manager, engineer Ashok Pandeya, the project with a two-year construction timeline is expected to be completed six months ahead of the deadline. He added that more than 50 per cent of construction work had been completed within seven months with only machinery and equipment remaining to be installed. 

The waste management centre is being built under the Regional Urban Development Project with assistance from the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The centre spanning over 22 hectares of area is being constructed at a cost of Rs. 960 million. 

Engineer Girish Chand, the ADB’s supervision team leader, said that the waste will be sorted into three categories: recyclable, biodegradable and non-recyclable for proper disposal. 

He said that the liquid waste released from the management process would be treated to ensure it does not harm aquatic life before being discharged into the Khutiya River. 

The waste management centre is designed to manage Dhangadhi's waste for the next 30 years.

The project was awarded to the Sichuan Province Geological Engineering Complex of China on April 2024 to be completed within two years. 

Engineer Chand informed that the construction company is expected to operate the centre for three years before handing it over to the Dhangadhi Sub-Metropolitan City. He said that the waste management centre would not produce any foul odour or negatively affect the surrounding settlements and pollute the environment. 

The establishment of the waste management centre is expected to employ 50-60 local people. Additionally, the produced compost will be given to locals for agricultural use.

Chand said that six cells are being constructed at the waste management centre to handle the non-recyclable waste. A 28-cubic-metre pond has also been built for liquid waste purification. The liquid waste will be tested for biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD) and pH levels before being discharged into the river. 

"Only when it is confirmed that the liquid is purified and will not harm any aquatic life will it be discharged into the Khutiya River," said Chand.

After 30 years, the site where the waste is managed will transform into a high hill-like area. At that point, a children’s park could be established, as the centre is being built within the Patela Community Forest area.