Locals at the solid waste collection centre in Teku have heaved a sigh of relief after solid waste collected from the metropolitan city for months were finally removed from the place.

The Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) has started clearing the waste from the place with 21 trippers to Okharpauwa landfill site. The authority has added six trippers to its fleets to transport the waste out of the Valley.

Currently, KMC mobilises 70 vehicles to collect solid waste in the metropolis. Every day, KMC collects 450 tons of solid waste from the city.

KMC Chief Executive Officer Rudra Sing Tamang and staffs of the environment department of the metropolis visited the site on Tuesday and assured the locals that the waste would be immediately removed from the site from now onwards. “Finally, we are successful in transferring all the solid waste from the transfer solution, we want to make it sustainable,” said executive Tamang.  He said the KMC is soon adopting a new technology in solving the problem of solid waste, but he did not disclose how.

Locals expressed happiness over the cleaning of the site that often remained filthy. “This is the first time I saw this centre free of solid waste this summer. Let’s see how long will it last,” said a local, Bhusan Bajracharya, who is also the chairperson of Reishewosher Yuwa Sport Club in Teku.

Every year the place would be full of solid waste due to KMC’s weak waste collection system and inappropriate final disposal, resulting in environmental pollution, although the place was separated to temporarily collect the solid waste of the Valley, three decades ago.

KMC officials say the condition of road to Okharpauwa landfill site, lack of adequate number of vehicles and occasional obstruction from locals, resulted in slow movement of the solid waste.

Recently, the KMC deployed 14 police constables after locals torched two dozers, one loader and a tripper, including a truck, that killed a four year-old child six months ago, causing property loss worth Rs 4 million for KMC.

Locals said that the foul smell of the solid waste would reach up to Kalimati, Kuleshwor, Sanepa and Tripureshwor. Ramila Adhikari, 44, from Kuleshwor said her family has been avoiding the area while walking due to the intolerable smell. “ During the time of Rishi Panchami, we had to be there in a long cue to worship Rishishwor Mahadev in Teku, where a woman fainted due to the stench. At least we won’t have this problem now,” said Adhikari. She also requested the KMC to keep the place clean forever.

Environment Division Chief Rabin Man Shrestha of KMC said as the festive season nears, KMC will be facing a hard time to handle the solid waste. “During the time of big festivals solid waste doubles. But we will keep this spirit of solving the solid waste problem,” he said.