The Kathmandu Metropolitan City has launched a new initiative for collecting segregated garbage from the houses in core city areas.

The environment division of the city office on Sunday said it started a campaign from its Ward No 18 office in Naradevi with an awareness rally.

[Read: Metropolitan city says it will book all those who dump garbage in public places during the night]

The initiative calls for segregating biodegradable and non-biodegradable household wastes from the source, as prescribed by the Solid Waste Management Act 2011.

According to the city officials, this new initiative will be initially launched in Wards 12, 18 and 21.

“For now we have started the drive from three wards. These are the most neglected places in the city, and there is a lack of awareness among the people regarding household waste management,” said Hari Kumar Shrestha, chief of the division. “We have already trained the people in the area on waste segregation.”

[Read: Social campaigner is beaten up while nabbing litterbugs in Koteshwor]

For the effective implementation of the campaign, the city has made a schedule to collect segregated garbage. It has announced to receive only biodegradable waste on Sundays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. The non-biodegradable waste will be collected only on Monday and Wednesday.

Sanu Maya Maharjan, an officer at the environment division of the city office, said people are yet to realise how separating waste at source can hugely help in garbage management.

[Read: SC writ seeks solution to city garbage issue]

Purna Chandra Bhatta, an inspector at the division, said the city will act aggressively to control the practice of haphazard garbage disposal.

“Locals are being made aware of the programme,” said Bhatta. “We are working in coordination with Nepal Police to book litterbugs. The city police will also tag along with the garbage collecting teams to monitor if people are segregating household wastes.”

With the implementation of this method, the city has announced to reduce solid waste with 3R techniques: reduce, reuse and recycle.

The city office, however, still does not have a clear picture of how it is going to recycle the collected solid wastes.

The Kathmandu Valley generates around 1,000 metric tonnes of solid waste daily. Every day, 150 lorries carry organic waste to Sisdole, around 27 km southwest from Kathmandu. But the dumping site is already filled beyond its capacity.

Shrestha said 60 percent of the organic waste originating in the Valley can be converted into compost manure. Of the remaining 40 percent, 30 percent of non-biodegradable waste can be sold to recyclers. “If this happens, only remaining 10 percent waste goes to the dumping site, and we can easily handle the chronic solid waste problem of our city,” said Shrestha.

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