By Bishnu Pandeya, Kathmandu, Apr. 10: The garbage of the Kathmandu Valley is not being picked up timely crediting to a lack of agreements with locals.

The Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) had selected Banchare Danda in Nuwakot as a sustainable solution of the waste management after the residents of the Sisdol area repeatedly obstructed the waste management in the Kathmandu Valley.

“In order to acquire the land in Banchare Danda, Environmental Impact Assessment(EIA) has to be assessed and compensation has to be made for the land, therefore, we are not able to dump waste in Nuwakot,” said Ishwor Man Dangol, Spokesperson of KMC.

He informed the TRN Online that government is responsible for acquiring land and giving compensation for it. If it is done by the government timely then there will be sustainable waste management in the capital as well. However, the requirement of land for the purpose can only be assessed only after EIA. Based on this, the work will start only after the land is cleared and the compensation is distributed.

According to him, at present, 500 metric tons of garbage from KMC and 1,000 metric tons of garbage from Kathmandu Valley are being managed in Sisdol. KMC had taken 12 years ago a lease of Sisdol for the dumping of waste.

The locals of Sisdol have been urging KMC to immediately bring a solution to the waste management saying that overdue the area has been piled up in the area which has disrupted the daily work of the locals. Therefore, a problem of waste management has surfaced at KMC.

Because of the lack of a sustainable plan of waste management in Kathmandu Valley, the tendency of garbage to get collected for some time and only get picked up after a long time can be observed time and again. Waste management was abruptly disrupted after waste was picked up after 15 days.

According to Mahesh Kumar Kafle, Assistant spokesperson of KMC, garbage has not been collected as the Pasang Lambhu highway to Sisdol is under construction.

Garbage collection in Kathmandu Valley has been obstructed time and again sometimes due to obstruction of locals and road construction.

He said that as soon as the locals of Sisdol obstruct the garbage management, waste piles up on the road immediately unless there is sustainable waste management in Banchare Danda.

Even though it has been said that the waste management of the Kathmandu Valley will be regulated properly once given to the private company, however, no formal efforts have been made yet.

“Even though the process has now reached the office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, completion of the work is yet to be ascertained,” said Spokesperson Dangol. Only after the process is approved by the Council of Ministers will be opened for a private company.  The Project Development Agreement was signed between the Investment Board Nepal and NepWest Company Pvt Ltd. However, no movements have been observed after that.