Minister Ghising took initiative to solve the issue
The Nepal Weekly 
November 4, 2025
Waste collection in Kathmandu and other major cities of the Kathmandu Valley was halted after protests by local resident of the Bancharedanda landfill site on the Nuwakot – Dhading border. The protest was resumed from Wednesday.
As a result, disposal of the waste collected from local units of the Kathmandu Valley and parts of Kavrepalanchok district was halted since Friday. A large number of garbage loaded trucks headed to the landfill site were forced to stay on the way to Bancharedanda. Consequently, the companies engaged in collecting household waste was also suspended.
In the past, locals living at the surrounding settlements of the landfill site used to obstruct waste disposal to press their various demands. But these protests had subsided after the incumbent mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, Balendra Shah, promised to fulfil the past agreements reached with the locals and address their concerns.
“Like millions of people residing in Kathmandu Valley, we also have the right to live unaffected by landfill sites,” said a leading local resident from the affected areas of Dhunibeshi Rural Municipality in Dhading district. The fights have been going on for three generations. It looks like the next generation will also have to continue fighting for these fundamental rights, he added.
He also mentioned that the current KMC administration and the federal government have not shown concern in addressing the just demands of the affected people or in honouring the commitments and agreements signed with the locals.
Apart from that, locals have asked for the fulfillment of an 18-point agreement, including the acquisition of lands, which have been affected by the landfill site. It was agreed that the government would acquire 1500 meters of land from around the landfill site.
Every day, over 200 garbage trucks dump waste collected from 18 local units of the Kathmandu Valley – Kathmandu Lalitpur and Bhaktapur district – and some areas of Kavrepalanchok district.
According to a rough estimate by the metropolis, the 18 local units in the Kathmandu Valley generate over 1,200 metric tons of solid waste daily. Of that, 50 percent is generated from the Kathmandu Metropolitan City alone.
Meanwhile Minister for Energy and Urban Development Kulman Ghising took initiative to address the issues. He has expressed concern over waste management in the Kathmandu Valley. He reached at the landfill site in Bancharedanda early Sunday to monitor its operations.
Since Friday, locals have been blocking garbage trucks from entering the site, prompting the minister to intervene and seek solutions.
The local community has repeatedly demanded proper waste management and the implementation of past agreements, leading them to prevent garbage disposal until these concerns are addressed.
Minister Ghising had expressed commitments to start fulfilling the agreement. He also asked the protestors to see results of implementing most of the points within fifteen days. Moreover, the locals need to lift the obstruction.
Finally, the locals agreed to allow transportation of waste to manage properly.
The Kathmandu Valley is a cluster of 21 local units (2 metropolitan cities, 16 municipalities and 3 rural municipalities).
The valley produces nearly 1200 tonnes of garbage every day as domestic waste, industrial waste, chemical waste, health institution related waste.
Under normal circumstances, nearly 200 vehicles bring solid waste in Sisdol every day to dump. The landfill site, located in a steep gorge spanning over 38 hectares has been over used -far beyond the capacity. The dumped solid waste grow hills of garbage grow every year there every year. During the monsoon, heavy rainfall causes garbage to flow down onto the roads and nearby settlements, causing extreme health and environmental risks. The road built over the dumped waste go slide as well to cause obstruction of transportation as well.
Studies say that the valley of 3.32 million people residing in 18 municipalities including Kathmandu Metropolitan City and Lalipur generate more than 1,200 tons of solid waste in a day. At least 75 per cent of this waste ends up in the landfill site. The other 25 per cent is dumped in empty plots, flown into the Bagmati river, or burned in the open to disastrous public health and environmental effects.
A study conducted by Kathmandu University in 2020 found that about 9 per cent of Kathmandu’s waste is burned, increasing the concentration of air particulate matter (PM2.5) by nearly 30 per cent, killing thousands every year.
It is to note that waste generated every day in KMC is 517 ton, LMC 130, Gokarneshwar 60, Nagarjun 35, Tokha 35, Tarkeshwar 35, Budhanilkantha 35, Chandragiri 30, Mahalaxmi 30, MadhyapurThimi 30, Godawari 25, Surya Binayak 25, KageswariManohara 20, Dakshinkali 15, Changu Narayan 15 Kirtipur 6. However, Bhaktapur is managing itself the waste produced while Banepa Municipality sends collected garbage to the landfill site other municipalities are using.
There are 32 private companies engaged in waste collection in KMC alone. KMC collects waste of 8 wards out while of 32 wards while private companies collect 13 wards. Similarly, KMC and private sector jointly work in other 11wards. KMC does not collect any fee against collection of garbage from the households. Private companies collect Rs. 300 or 400 from each household against waste collection service they provide. Moreover, malls and hospitals are said to be paying around Rs. 40,000 from each of such institutions as big polluters.
The existing waste management system in the Kathmandu Valley is collection of the garbage form certain locations or cluster of households, hotels, restaurants, hospitals, or institutions and send to dumping site to dump them.
The dumping site at Sisdol was already filled up, and the government was required to allow use next site for sustainable waste management produced in the Kathmandu Valley. An alternative to existing site has been prepared at Bancharedanda which lies 4 km farther from Sisdol at the border of Nuwakot and Dhading districts. The proposed Bancharedanada landfill site is expected to hold waste for at least 20 years.
Bancharedanda dumping site is spread to an area of 1792 Ropanis (around 91 hectares). The government had spent Rs. 1.9 billion to construct the site. This site is equipped with sanitary landfill system also. That means toxic leachate which percolates from the waste will be treated before they are discharged into rivers. (By Purna N. Ranjitkar)
