Garbage collection resumed in Kathmandu after being suspended for 13 days

Garbage collection in Nepal's capital city of Kathmandu resumed on Wednesday morning after being suspended for 13 days as local citizens held protests demanding proper health, education and infrastructure facilities near the city's main dumping site.

On Wednesday morning, 18 garbage-laden trucks dumped fortnight's capital garbage at the main dumping site, the Sisdole Sanitary Landfill Site, an official of the Kathmandu Metropolitan City environment department said.

Garbage in Kathmandu has not been properly disposed for 13 days till Tuesday due to the protest of the locals who demanded development works like health post and medicines, teachers in schools and road construction.

Nepali Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala Monday instructed Local Development Minister Rajendra Pandey over telephone to seek solution to the problem. Koirala urged the minister to do everything necessary to prevent outbreak of diseases due to the growing volume of uncollected garbage left at every corner of Kathmandu.

Later, the government and the locals reached an agreement. The Nepali government promised to set up a health post in the village close to the landfill site, initiate the process of electrification and provide vacancies for 20 teachers at local schools within the next seven days.

The government agreed to construct a road, send required technical human resources to run a veterinary hospital in the locality and formulate necessary laws relating to solid waste management.

Kathmandu produces more than 350 tons of solid waste per day. There are still over 4,200 tons of solid waste not collected, said local government officials. To clean the city needs one week, they noted.

Source: Xinhua