CHITWAN, Jan 26: Bharatpur Metropolitan City has awarded a new contract for the collection and management of waste generated within Bharatpur metropolis. The contract has been awarded to NK International Construction Pvt Ltd for three years. The metropolis has awarded the contract this time to generate income from waste, said Bissuram Kunwar, Chief and Deputy Director of the Environment Division of the metropolis.
According to him, the metropolis has awarded the contract to the company for Rs 76.19 million. The company will pay the amount to the metropolis in 12 installments. “The company has given a bank guarantee of Rs 29.10 million. The first installment of Rs 12.60 million has been paid,” said Division Chief Kunwar. He further added, “For the first time, the metropolis is earning income from waste.”
Previously, the metropolis used to collect waste by dividing it into three parts. Environmentally Beautiful Nepal Pvt Ltd, Waste Management Group Pvt Ltd, and Bharatpur metropolis collected waste themselves. Environmentally Beautiful Nepal used to pay 45 percent of the waste collection fee to the metropolis. Waste Management Group Pvt Ltd used to pay 25 percent to the metropolis and Bharatpur metropolis used to pay the remaining 30 percent. Kunwar said that the metropolis has awarded lump sum contracts to the companies. He said this would make waste management easier than before.
Resolving Kathmandu Valley’s solid waste problems
The metropolis has also introduced some revisions to the waste management service fee. The municipal council of the metropolis has fixed a fee of Rs 160 per flat for which waste is collected six days a week, said Suraj Raj Poudel, head of the environment department. The fee for collecting garbage three days a week is Rs 130, for collecting garbage two days a week is Rs 50, for collecting garbage one day is Rs 24.
Similarly, for collecting garbage six days a week, the fee for wholesale grocery stores is Rs 400, for fish and meat shops is Rs 2,700, for CG Mahal is Rs 25,000, and for large hotels Rs 5,000 to 7,000. The highest fee has been fixed for hospital waste management. Poudel said that the monthly service fee for hospitals in Bharatpur has been fixed from Rs 15,000 to Rs 55,000. According to him, Bharatpur Hospital, Chitwan Medical College, and Bharatpur Medical College will have to pay Rs 55,000 monthly.
He said that the company has taken the responsibility of managing waste at the place specified by the metropolis. Currently, Bharatpur Metropolitan City is dumping waste at Jaldevi Community Forest in Bharatpur Metropolitan City-2 and Dhurva in Bharatpur-24.
“Bharatpur Metropolitan City has asked us to dump waste at Jaldevi Community Forest in Aanpatari. Waste from wards 1 to 5, 7 to 12, and 29 is being dumped there,” said Keshav Nepal, manager of NK International Construction Pvt Ltd, adding that waste from wards 6 and 13 to 28 is being discharged at the Dhurwa of Bharatpur-24.
Tole reform money to be stopped
Thirty percent of the money going to the Tole Reform Committee after the agreement of the metropolis has been stopped. Earlier, 25 percent of the cleaning fee collected from the homeowners in one lump used to go to the Toll Reform Committee. The company itself kept 70 percent of the money. According to manager Nepal, 80 tons of waste is currently collected daily in Bharatpur Metropolitan City. Of that, 60 percent is biodegradable waste and 50 percent is recyclable waste. He said. “Most of the biodegradable waste comes from the market area. We are planning to compost it in a few days.”
He said that only 50 percent of the collected waste is planned to be dumped. The metropolis had previously been dumping garbage on the banks of the Narayani River. Division Chief Kunwar informed that garbage has been dumped in Aanpatari since the month of Shrawan (mid-July to mid-August). According to him, garbage can be dumped there for five years. The place where the garbage is currently discharged is a community forest. He said that the garbage is taken there and immediately covered with soil.
