Hazardous wastes piled up at main roads, crossroads and heritage sites
KATHMANDU, Nov 27: The ongoing fuel crisis has severely affected garbage collection in Lalitpur Sub-Metropolitan City.
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Officials at the sub metropolis said that they have not been able to collect trashes even from the main roads, crossroads and heritage sites due to the acute fuel crisis.
According to Amatya, the sub metropolis has been collecting only thirty percent wastes generated from households after the India-imposed economic blockade, which has exceeded over two months now, caused fuel crisis.
"We are not getting sufficient fuel due to which we are compelled to stop collecting garbage from the streets," added Amatya.
People residing in the sub metropolis complained that they are in great risk of contracting infections, as the sub metropolis has turned a blind eye to the hazardous wastes. Locals of Lalitpur have asked the sub metropolis authorities to be sensitive toward public health. Hazardous wastes produced from health facilities could be seen piled up at the streets.
The sub metropolis, which buys fuel from a private fuel station, said that the proprietor of the fuel station showed helplessness to provide fuel citing that the Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) has stopped supplying fuel to the station. The sub metropolis needs over 400 liters of diesel and 90 liters of petrol a day.
Every day, over 65 tons of garbage gets produced in the sub metropolis. Amatya informed that the sub metropolis has been collecting just 20 tons, gathered at the cultural heritage sites, crossroads and on the main roads.
On the other hand, the Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) claimed that it has been regularly getting fuel from the NOC and has no problem of garbage collection.
"We do not have any problems regarding garbage collection," Rabinman Shrestha, chief of Environment Division at the KMC, claimed. He said that the division has been regularly sending garbage trucks to the landfill site.
