KATHMANDU, Oct 31: Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) is taking steps to extend the lifespan of Banchare Danda, the valley's last waste management site. The KMC’s Environment Department has announced plans to limit the amount of waste transported to Banchare Danda to just 20 percent of the waste generated at its source.
Sarita Rai, head of the department, said that preparations are underway to implement a new waste management strategy, with the remaining waste being handled by service providers. The bidding process for this additional waste management has already been completed.
Previously, waste management in Kathmandu was largely handled by private organizations in all but nine of the 32 wards. Rai said that the KMC will now oversee the collection, transportation, and disposal of waste across all wards.
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The KMC aims to prioritize the reuse of materials, composting of organic waste, and reducing the volume sent to Banchare Danda. Currently, approximately 1,600 metric tons of waste is managed daily from 18 local bodies in the Kathmandu Valley.
Banchare Danda has served as the final waste disposal site for the past two years since the previous site at Sisdol reached capacity. To prevent the rapid depletion of Banchare Danda, the KMC has urged all stakeholders to sort waste at the source.
If waste continues to be sent in its entirety, estimates suggest that Banchare Danda could be full in just 15 years. Rai said, "Reusable items, compostable materials, and goods that can be sold are often discarded as garbage. If we can prevent this, we can significantly extend the lifespan of Banchare Danda."
Plans for Banchare Danda include the construction of a biological fertilizer processing center and the generation of gas from waste. Daily, waste from 18 local bodies of the valley is transported to Banchare Danda, with initial management occurring via Gokarna and Sisdol.
