The Kathmandu Metropolitan City plans to use the dumping site in Sisdole, which is already filled beyond its capacity, even in the upcoming monsoon season.

The construction of a new landfill site at Bancharedanda (a bordering area of Nuwakot and Dhading districts) only started last week, and seems highly unlikely to be completed before monsoon.

“We had hoped to dump and manage waste at the new landfill site in Bancharedanda this monsoon season, but its construction has only just started,” said Sarkardeep Shrestha, chief at the Sisdole office of Kathmandu metropolis. “We will have to manage in Sisdole dumping site itself this monsoon too.”

Sisdole, which was meant to be a dumping site for three years, has been continuously used for the past 14 years. Every day about 150 trucks carrying trash collected from several local federal units of the Valley reach Sisdole for dumping.

The waste dumped at the site has taken the shape of a hill, where the metropolis has made tracks for the trucks to reach its top with their load. During monsoon, it experiences mudslides as rainwater washes the mud and blocks the tracks to the top.

The washed down garbage then flows onto roads and floods the nearby areas with filth.

“We are planning to dump waste at Valley 1 and Valley 2 (gorges) located near Sisdole, if the Sisdole dumping site gets blocked by rainwater like it did last monsoon,” said Hari Kumar Shrestha, chief of the environment department of Kathmandu metropolis. However, the two gorges were also filled beyond their capacity and have been closed for the past few years.

“These two gorges, although not in use anymore, can accommodate waste for the next three to four months,” said Shrestha.

The Ministry of Urban Development said that construction of the new landfill at Bancharedanda will be completed within the next 15 months. The ministry has awarded the building contract to the Lumbini Koshi and Neupane Joint Venture.