Garbage collection in Kathmandu, which was halted for over a week, resumed on Friday following an agreement between the Kathmandu Metropolitan City and local residents at Sisdole, Nuwakot.

Residents of Sisdol, where Kathmandu Valley’s garbage is disposed of, and the local Education Management Struggle Committee had stopped more than 150 garbage lorries from reaching the dumping site since March 26. Roadsides and neighbourhoods in Kathmandu were littered with uncollected garbage heaps as a result.

“After an agreement on certain issues, the agitated protesters will now not be going to obstruct the roads to Sisdole,” said Hari Bahadur Shrestha, chief of the Environment Division of Kathmandu Metropolitan City.

The City has agreed to provide a grant of Rs 18.7 million to hire 31 teachers for primary and secondary schools in wards 1, 2 and 3 of Kakane Rural Municipality and ward 1 of Dhune Beshi Municipality, according to Chandra Bahadur Balami, chair of ward 1 of Kakane Rural Municipality.

The 52nd executive meeting of Kathmandu Metropolitan City in the third week of October last year had pledged to fund the hiring of 51 seats of teachers in the most affected areas in the name of providing free education for students.

“But the City would not act on the decision unless we protested obstructing garbage lorries,” said Balami.

As part of the agreement, Kathmandu Metropolitan City has also assured construction of a 15-bed hospital in the area, and until then agreed to provide free health check-ups and treatment of people in landfill site area at government hospitals within Kathmandu Metropolitan City.

Besides, the City has also agreed to allocate Rs 30 million each for wards 1,3, 4 of Dhune Beshi Municipality and wards 1, 2, 3 of Kakane Rural Municipality to construct various infrastructure and fund development projects. It has promised to form a technical team for the land acquisition process from private landowners in the landfill sites where garbage has been dumped for years.

“We have given a 10-day ultimatum to the City office to implement the deal,” said Balami. “If it does not address our problems within 10 days we will resume our protests and we will have no other choice than to obstruct garbage disposal in our area.”

The 18 municipalities in Kathmandu Valley generate around 1,200 metric tons of solid waste a day of which nearly 50 percent is generated by the Kathmandu Metropolitan City alone.

Back in 2005, Kathmandu Metropolitan City had made a commitment to use the Sisdole landfill site for three years but the landfill site continues to be used 15 years later.