After its earlier failed attempt, the Kathmandu Metropolitan City has once again started a drive to collect segregated solid waste from households from the core area. It also aims to take forward the campaign to other wards.

The city office had started a pilot project from Naradevi in Ward No. 18 in with an awareness rally in August-end. The project was supposed to be carried out in Ward No. 12 and 21 as well, but it failed to succeed.

“This time, we are going to monitor it strictly and make the people segregate the waste from each household because we are at the beginning of Visit Nepal 2020 and unmanaged garbage has tarnished the reputation of the city,” said Ishwor Man Dangol, a spokesperson for the Kathmandu Metropolitan City.

This time, the city office is going to extend the drive in Ward No 7, 9, 31 and 32 before taking it to all the other wards.

When the Post asked Environment Division chief of the city office, Hari Kumar Shrestha, as to why it had failed to execute its earlier programme, he said, it was due to the ‘indifference and negligence’ of the locals.

He said all the ward members have already been trained for waste segregation, and they will be deployed to inspect the waste segregation.

“We have already sent dustbins to all the wards for segregation purposes,” said Shrestha. This time, the city aims to receive only biodegradable waste on Sundays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, while non-biodegradable waste will get collected on Mondays and Wednesdays.

Littering on the streets, alleys and sidewalks is a perennial problem in the oldest and wealthiest metropolis in the country. Every day, Kathmandu Valley generates 1,000 metric tonnes of solid waste, of which 60 percent is generated within the city.

On January 1, when the metropolitan city allocated Rs 2 million for a week-long extravaganza for Visit Nepal 2020 campaign, the city received widespread criticism for not managing garbage on the roads, its public toilets and numerous potholes dotting its road network.

After public criticism for not being able to manage solid waste, Minister of State for Urban Development Ram Bir Manandhar, Mayor Bidya Sundar Shakya, Deputy Mayor Hari Prabha Khadgi and other representatives from municipalities in Kathmandu Valley visited Banchare Danda, the proposed landfill site for the Valley, on Friday.

Banchare Danda is an alternative to Sisdol landfill site in Okharpauwa, Nuwakot, which is nearing overcapacity.

“Once the road that leads to Banchare Danda is completed, all the waste will be dumped there. Work is undergoing to build a separate Gas plant and compost manure plant in Banchare Danda,” said Dangol.

Shrestha said litterbugs and people who do not abide by the segregation rules will be booked as per the Solid Waste Management Act, 2068 (2011). The Act specifies a punishment of jail sentence up to three months and up to Rs 100,000 fine against those found guilty of polluting public places.