Unable to cope with widespread criticism over the garbage piling up in the Capital’s streets, the Kathmandu Metropolitan City on Tuesday announced that it would resume garbage collection from Wednesday.

After a meeting with the Director General of the Department of Roads Arjun Jung Thapa, Kathmandu’s Chief District Officer Kali Prasad Parajuli and other officials, Kathmandu Mayor Bidya Sundar Shakya announced that his office would resume garbage collection from 6 am Wednesday.

“We could not pick up garbage as the road to Sisdole landfill site has been damaged by rains. Now that the director general of the roads department has promised to repair the road, we will resume collecting garbage from tomorrow,” said Shakya.

However, Sisdole, where the city has been dumping its garbage for the past 16 years, is long stretched beyond its capacity. Initially, the City had made an agreement to dump garbage at Sisdole for three years.

Sisdole residents have time and again obstructed garbage disposal.

“The City will pay the roads department for the repairs and if there are any issues with the residents of Sisdole, we will solve them through talks,” said Shakya.

For the past one week, Kathmandu’s garbage piles have made headlines in the mainstream media and generated strong reactions on social media. On Monday, a group of youths associated with the Youth Congress Nepal had dumped garbage in front of the City’s office protesting its failure to manage waste.

Amid mounting public pressure, Mayor Shakya had earlier this week written to Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba to help solve the garbage problem. A source at the City office said Tuesday's meeting was held after Prime Minister Deuba urged all stakeholders to solve the garbage problem.

Ishwor Man Dangol, spokesperson of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, however, says a better solution to the garbage problem is not possible until the Ministry of Urban Development makes available the Banchare Dada landfill site. Banchare Dada is 1.9km west of Sisdole, which is around 27km west of Kathmandu.

At Tuesday's meeting, Kathmandu’s chief district officer Parajuli promised to provide security for managing garbage if there is any obstruction from local residents. “If the Sisdole residents have some problem they should come to us, but they are not supposed to obstruct the vehicles,” said Parajuli.

Every day, Kathmandu Valley generates around 1,200 tonnes of solid waste, of which nearly 600 tonnes comes from Kathmandu alone. The landfill site at Sisdole, around 27 km southwest of Kathmandu, is spread over 740 ropoanis (37.65 hectares). Initially a gorge, Sisdole has turned into a garbage mountain and exceeded its capacity years ago.