Kathmandu valley people will have to endure reeking garbage piles at different places for one more week as it will take some days to create the first ‘cell’ in the under-construction landfill site of Bancharedanda.

Information Officer at Ministry of Urban Development Suresh Kumar Wagle informed that construction of the first cell of landfill site was nearing final stage.

However, problems still exist because Sisdol must be crossed to reach the first cell. Huge mass of garbage at Sisdol must be negotiated to the new site’s first cell. Currently, garbage containers cannot pass via the mound, Wagle added.

“First, a makeshift bridge needs to be set up by coordinating with the Road Department and Kathmandu metropolis. Otherwise, it will be difficult to solve the problem. Kathmanduities have been asked not to keep garbage outside the residence for 11 days. As a result, the garbage piled up already on river banks has not been collected, emanating unbearable stench.

Environment Department Chief at KMC Hari Kumar Shrestha called it a recurring problem for some years because of failure to manage a landfill site for long-term solution. He blamed the Ministry of Urban Development for the delay. “There is no place left to manage waste at Sisdol.

So, it should be managed at Bancharedanda.

Management of waste is so poor that Sisdol of Nuwakot was selected for landfill site in 2005 just for two years. But, it was expanded out of capacity for these many years, thereby ignoring the responsibility for seeking a long term solution.

Currently, 1,200 metric tonnes of garbage is managed at Sisdole from Kathmandu valley.

(RSS)