Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) is preparing to further enhance its waste management by introducing segregation at the source, aimed at reducing pollution and managing the increasing costs associated with waste disposal.

Currently, the waste from 18 local bodies in the Kathmandu Valley is being transported to the Banchare Danda Landfill Site without segregation, contributing to rising costs and environmental pollution. The waste from all 32 wards in the metropolitan city will now be segregated.

Sarita Rai, Chief of the Environment Management Department at KMC, stated the importance of segregating waste at its source in accordance with existing laws. She also stated that those responsible for waste generation will be held more accountable under the new system.

At present, waste segregation is being implemented in a few wards, including wards 5, 10, 24, 25, and 26. KMC plans to extend this initiative to the remaining wards soon. The city’s goal is to ensure that 20 percent of the waste is processed at the Banchare Danda Landfill Site, while the rest will be managed by private service providers contracted by KMC.

Rai stressed that simply transporting waste from one site to another is not a sustainable solution. “The quantity of waste must be reduced through segregation at the source for more effective management,” she said.

Currently, 18 local bodies in the Kathmandu Valley produce approximately 1,600 metric tonnes of waste daily of which a majority is managed at the Bancharedanda landfill facility.