Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), which earlier pledged financial assistance to build a state-of-the-art landfill site nearby Sisdole and Aletar, has informed Solid Waste Management and Resource Mobilization Centre (SWMRMC) that it would provide support only after 2014. [break] This means that the process of building an alternative landfill site will take off only after around four years.
“JICA has told us to not expect fund for a large-scale landfill site before 2014,” Badri Maharjan, an engineer at SWMRMC, said. “We cannot start work on a mega project on our own. We have no option but to wait.” JICA, which has downsized its funding capacity following the recent global downturn, has cited its focus in the ongoing Tinkune-Bhaktapur road project, among others, for the postponement of the project.
The long-term landfill site, which would cost around four billion rupees as per the 2005 projection, is expected to last for the next 25 years. If SWMRMC´s plan for dissecting recyclable waste effectively materializes, the longevity of the landfill site could increase further. SWMRMC´s has already acquired an adequate land for this project.
“Once this project completes, Valley folks will not have to face garbage disposal problems,” Maharjan said. “It is because we have developed a master plan along with this alternative site, which will most probably resolve all garbage-related problems.”
More disruptions
According to SWMRMC, garbage disposal in the Valley has been obstructed for 260 days so far. Over one-and-a-half dozen groups formed by the so-called dumping site-affected locals, most of which function only when they call strikes, have disrupted garbage collection and disposal 68 times since the Sisdole site came into operation on June 5, 2005.
Another disruption in garbage collection and disposal is likely sooner than later as dozens of deals struck between SWMRMC and various locals groups in the past remains unimplemented. SWMRMC, which always demonstrates its readiness to sign deals with agitating local groups, is reluctant to implement them. “We do not have record of implemented and unimplemented deals that we struck with agitating locals,” said Top Raj Acharya, assistant manager at SWMRMC.
The SWMRMC has assured employment to a local group within 15 days after they disrupted garbage disposal for a week recently. With less than a week left, another disruption in garbage disposal seems imminent. “It is almost obvious that SWMRMC will not fulfill our demands. If that happens, we will disrupt garbage disposal yet again,” Shyam Sundar Balami, a local, told Republica.
Revisiting Sisdole
While the long-term project for proper garbage management seems a distant possibility, the Aletar landfill site, where Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) has been dumping garbage after the Sisdole site was closed, is also speedily running out of its capacity.
"As we do not have an alternative landfill site ready right now, we have decided to use the already-overflowed Sisdole site for some time," said Maharjan. According to Maharjan, CWMRMC took decision to this effect based upon a report submitted by a technical team.
CWMRMC had also been planning to build a short-term dumping site at Shyamekholsa near Aletar. The detailed design for this project has already been prepared. However, since a completely new dump yard construction takes longer time and more money, the team has recommended to SWMRMC to temporarily revive the Sisdole site. According to Maharjan, the level of the Sisdole dumping site has subsided clearly, meaning that KMC can use it for a few more months.
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