August 24: The Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) has said it plans to manage solid waste in the Kathmandu Valley within the next four days.    
According to KMC’s environment department chief Sarita Rai, works are underway with the plan to complete the management of garbage piled up alongside the streets and crossroads by this weekend. Rai said the management of waste from major streets has been over and it plans to pick up remaining waste from the inner streets and manage it by coming Saturday.    
At present, 300 vehicles have been dumping the garbage at the Bancharedanda landfill site on a daily basis. The number of waste-collecting vehicles is more than the normal time due to the need to manage the waste that has been piled-up since a long time.    
Few days ago, KMC Mayor Balendra Shah directed private companies partnering with the KMC in the waste management to conclude the management within a week.    
It may be noted that management of waste generated in the Kathmandu Valley was halted for two months partly because of the road disruption due to monsoon rains and also owing to the obstruction from the locals of Sisdole and Bancharedanda who were non-cooperating with the KMC citing that the latter failed to implement agreements reached with them.    
Last week, a four-point agreement was signed among the Chief District Officers of Kathmandu, Dhading and Nuwakot and the locals of Sisdole and Bancharedanda, paving the way to resume the management works since last Thursday.    
Around 1,200 metric tonnes of solid waste is generated in the Kathmandu Valley per day and the KMC is the highest contributor (over 500 metric tons). Bancharedanda has been serving as the final waste disposal site for garbage produced in the KMC and other 17 local levels since a long time.  -- RSS   
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