Little about Kathmandu
Kathmandu Valley, an amalgam of 3 cities Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Lalitpur, is the predominant urban center of Nepal. With a population of 2.5 million and a Growth rate of 4% per year Kathmandu valley is one of the fastest growing metropolitan areas in South Asia.
The waste production
As with many emerging cities, Kathmandu struggles to handle its waste. Out of the 750 tons of waste per day that Kathmandu generates, 88% can be composted or recycled.
The responsibility of waste management officially lies on individual municipalities of each city, however private sectors are largely involved in varied capacities and roles. The collected waste ends up in a landfill.
The problem associated with waste
The current landfill site, Sisdol is appx. 19km from ktm and has been in operation since 2005 when it was built as a 3 year stop-gap waste disposal area. Sisdol is brimming with waste releasing untreated leachate and greenhouse gases creating unhealthy living conditions for the nearby communities and severely affecting the environment.
Despite public outrage and resistance from residents near the landfill areas, Environmentalists and sustainability activists, the practice of disposing waste in landfill sites still persists.
Besides disposal in landfills, waste is thrown in the riverbanks, and burned.
How can Kathmandu tackle its waste problem? Watch the video to learn more:
The Kathmandu video is presented to you by: