Rainfall adds to garbage problem in Kathmandu, fear of water-borne diseases run high

Kathmandu [Nepal], August 14 (ANI): Monsoon rainfall resulting in inundation has added owes to Kathmandu's garbage problem as the rainwater scatters dumped waste all across roads and footpaths.
Protest by locals on the way to the landfill site in Sisdol and Banchare of Nuwakot and Dhading District has resulted in the cluttering of garbage across Kathmandu.
On Monday night several garbage trucks were vandalized near the Dhading-Nuwakot border where two bulldozers, one excavator and 14 tipper trucks were vandalized by an unknown gang.

Garbage disposal at Banchare Danda sees more disruptions, especially during the monsoon owing to the poor road, which becomes impassable after heavy rains, besides frequent protests by locals.
Last month, garbage collection was halted for several days to repair the rain-damaged Sisdole-Banchare Danda road section. On July second week, after being unable to transport solid waste from the Teku transfer station, the City covered the huge mounds of waste at the station with plastic tarps.

"It's been a long time that garbage has continued to clutter around Kathmandu. Piles of garbage lying around the corners and alleys of the capital. As I am on my way to college, I have to walk past the heaps and the rainfall also has scattered the waste all around. On top of that pollution has increased along with it has increased the fear that rainwater which sips through the land would further contaminate underground water. This problem needs to be resolved as soon as possible," Rajan Bhattarai, a college-going student told ANI.
The garbage transfer station at Teku that sprawls over 45 Ropani of land is currently full of garbage. On a normal day over 150 lorries transfer Kathmandu garbage to Banchare Danda but this has stopped since last week after the garbage trucks were vandalized.
Kathmandu Valley generates a total of 1,200 metric tonnes of solid waste, of which 60 per cent is generated from Kathmandu Metropolitan City alone.
Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) Mayor Balen Shah elected in the local election earlier in May with the promise to resolve the issue last evening has announced additional trucks carrying garbage from Kathmandu will reach Bancharedanda on Sunday.
Taking onto Facebook, Mayor Shah said that as many as 152 vehicles carrying garbage reached Bancharedanda last evening. "If there is no obstacle, 250 to 350 trucks carrying garbage from Kathmandu will reach Bancharedanda of Nuwakot every day."
According to him, 75 vehicles of garbage come out of Kathmandu every day and the same amount of garbage is collected from various municipalities in the Valley.
"It may take some time to collect the garbage and deliver it to Bancharedanda under regular conditions," he said. (ANI)