Kathmandu ADB case study.pdf

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Report of
Solid Waste Management Baseline Study
in Kathmandu Municipality
Surveyors: Aruna Thapa Magar
Bijay Maharjan
Sajana Rijal
Sharmila Maharjan
Government of Nepal
Ministry of Local Development
Solid Waste Management Technical Support Center (SWMTSC)
Shreemahal, Lalitpur
Technical Assistant: ADB
July 2012

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Acknowledgement
We wish to acknowledge and extend our sincere gratitude and appreciation to many individuals for
their invaluable support, co-operation and various forms of help in the course of collection of
Baseline Information on Solid Waste Management of Kathmandu Municipality.
We would like to express our deep gratitude and sincere respect to all the individuals of Ministry
of Local Development/SWMTSC for providing this kind of platform. We would also like to
acknowledge everyone given in the table below for their tremendous help and suggestions.
SN Name Organization Remarks
1 Surya Man Shakya SWMTSC for expert advice on SWM
2 Dr D.R Pathak SWMTSC for providing valuable support,
instructions and materials for our
work and preparation of this
report
3 Yogesh Shakya SWMTSC for coordinating the Baseline
Survey
1 Rabin Man Shrestha, Chief Environment
Management
Department, KMC
for his cordial help and support
regarding SWM of Kathmandu
municipality
2 Shanta RamPokhrel KMC
3 Ram Chandra Lakhe, Officer Vehicle Maintenance
Division,KMC
for his support in finding out the
ward location
4 Tej Raj Subedi
5 Ratna Kaji Maharjan
6 Sanu Maya Maharjan
7 Raja Ram
8 Sulochana Shrestha,
Accountant
Environment
Management
Department, KMC
for providing us data of revenue
9 Kiran Kumar Maharjan KMC, Ward office
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for sharing the activities carried
by the municipality
10 Sheela Sharma, sandhya
Manandhar, Roshila koju
,Rajeshwori prajapati.
Friends helping for the base line survey
Aruna Thapa Magar
Bijay Maharjan
Sajana Rijal
Sharmila Maharjan

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Summary
The rapid population growth and urbanization in developing countries as Nepal constitute a threat
to the environment. In recent years solid waste has become major environmental problem in
Kathmandu and other urban areas of Nepal. There are differences in waste generation and
composition between urban areas of Nepal. In order to retrieve a broad picture of the current
waste management situation of Kathmandu municipality, the baseline study carried out studies of
the MSW regarding composition and generation were conducted. Direct observations, formal and
informal discussion, field study with questionnaire were carried out.20 random ward samples were
taken out of 35 wards and 200 households, 40 each institutional and commercial establishment
were surveyed for study in selected wards. During the period of this study, the household waste per
capita day was found to be 232.1gm of which organic was 66.46 %,15.05 % plastics, 8.26 %
paper/paper products where as other waste was found minor. Similarly the average institutional
waste generated per day in Kathmandu Metropolitan City was 288.83 gm with 35.64 % organic,
20.32% plastics, 31.32 % paper/paper products. And the average commercial waste generated per
day was 5.29 kg. The composition of commercial waste was 59.43 % organic, 18.04 % plastics,
12.12 % paper/paper products. From the survey, it was found that organic waste was dominant in
case of household and commercial waste whereas organic as well as paper/ paper products were in
major proportion in institutions.
For the collection of the waste generated in Kathmandu MPC, the existing collection services were
container service and road side pick-up. Door to door collection was conducted by the private
sector, NGOs and community based organization including local clubs and Tole Sudhar Samitte.
Regarding the transportation of waste, Tractors (Chinese), trippers, and skips were used and were
taken to Teku Transfer station. The waste is then disposed in Sisdol sanitary landfill site. There was
the practice of resource recovery methods in KMC like recycling, composting which helps to
reduce the disposal quantity of waste.
In KMC about 20.4% of total municipality budget was allocated in SWM in 2066/ 2067.and in
2067/2068, 19.77% of total budget was allocated in SWM .Similarly in 2068/2069 the budget was
increased to 223.32%.The budget is used for SWM services like materials, supplies, fuel,
lubricants, landfill site operation, equipment, vehicle maintenance, public awareness and education.
A typical solid waste management system in Kathmandu displays an array of problems; including
low collection coverage and irregular collection services, crude open dumping and burning without
air and water pollution control, the breeding of flies and vermin, and the handling and control of
informal waste picking or scavenging activities.

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List of Abbreviations
ADB – Asian Development Bank
CBS – Central Bureau of Statistics
CBO – Community Based Organization
GTZ- German Technical Co-operation Agency
HH– household
JICA – Japan International Co-operation Agency
kg –kilogram
gm– gram
km – kilometer
KMC – Kathmandu Metropolitan City
LFS – Landfill Site
m3
– Cubic meter
MSW – Municipal Solid Waste
NEPCEMAC - Nepal Pollution Control and Environmental Monitoring Center
NGO- Non Government organization
SWMRMC – Solid Waste Management and Resource Mobilization Centre
SWMS- Solid Waste Management Section
SWMTSC – Solid Waste Management Technical Support Center
VDC – Village Development Committee

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List of Tables:
Table 1: Kathmandu Metropolitan City Land Use........................................................................... 10
Table 2: Ward-wise area distribution and Population of Kathmandu Metropolitan City ................ 11
Table 3: Sources and Types of Solid Wastes ................................................................................... 15
Table 4: Ward-wise composition of house hold waste by weight.................................................... 21
Table 5: Household waste generation from each ward (according to primary data)........................ 21
Table 6: Household Waste Composition of Kathmandu Metropolitan City .................................... 22
Table 7: Institutional waste generation from each ward .................................................................. 23
Table 8: Institutional Waste Composition of Kathmandu Metropolitan City(according to primary
data) .......................................................................................................................................... 25
Table 9: Commercial waste generation from each ward (according to primary data) ..................... 26
Table 10: Commercial waste composition of Katmandu Metropolitan City ................................... 28
Table 11: Waste collection system of KMC .................................................................................... 30
Table 12: Vehicles and equipments used in collection of waste in primary transportation ............. 31
Table 13: Vehicles and equipment used in Final (Sisdol) transportation......................................... 31
Table 14: Surveyed institutions in selected wards ........................................................................... 49
Table 15: Surveyed commercial establishments in selected wards.................................................. 49
List of Figures
Figure 1: Bar chart of Composition of household waste of different wards ................................... 22
Figure 2: Pie chart of characteristic of household waste.................................................................. 23
Figure 3: Bar chart of Composition of schools/colleges waste of different wards........................... 24
Figure 4: Bar chart of Government / Non Government Offices of different wards ......................... 25
Figure 5: Pie chart of characteristics of Institutional waste ............................................................. 26
Figure 6: Bar chart of composition of shops waste of different wards ............................................ 27
Figure 7: Bar chart of restaurants/hotels of different wards............................................................. 28
Figure 8: Pie chart of characteristic commercial waste.................................................................... 29

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List of Maps:
Map 1: Kathmandu Metropolitan City and its administrative boundary............................................ 9
Map 2: Land use system of KMC .................................................................................................... 42
Map 3: Kathmandu Metropolitan City with sampling wards........................................................... 42

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Table of Contents
Acknowledgement.............................................................................................................................. 1
Summary ............................................................................................................................................ 2
List of Abbreviations.......................................................................................................................... 3
List of Tables: .................................................................................................................................... 4
List of Figures .................................................................................................................................... 4
List of Maps: ...................................................................................................................................... 5
1 Introduction................................................................................................................................ 8
1.1 Municipality profile............................................................................................................ 9
1.1.1 Basic information ....................................................................................................... 9
1.1.2 Geographical information......................................................................................... 10
1.1.3 Demographic information ........................................................................................ 11
1.1.4 Institutional, commercial and other facilities........................................................... 12
1.1.5 Solid waste processing facilities............................................................................... 12
1.2 Objectives of study........................................................................................................... 13
2 Study methodologies................................................................................................................ 14
2.1 Identification of waste generators .................................................................................... 14
2.1.1 Types of solid waste................................................................................................. 14
2.1.2 Sources of solid waste.............................................................................................. 14
2.2 Data sources and data collection method ......................................................................... 16
2.2.1 Household SWM survey .......................................................................................... 16
2.2.2 Institutional survey................................................................................................... 17
2.2.3 Commercial survey .................................................................................................. 17
2.2.4 Standard questionnaires............................................................................................ 18
2.3 Secondary sources of data................................................................................................ 18
2.4 Observation and photography .......................................................................................... 18
2.5 Quality control.................................................................................................................. 18
2.6 Study limitations .............................................................................................................. 19
3 Solid waste generation and physical characteristics................................................................. 20
3.1 Introduction...................................................................................................................... 20
3.2 Waste characterization ..................................................................................................... 20
3.2.1 Domestic waste ........................................................................................................ 20
3.2.2 Institutional waste .................................................................................................... 23
3.2.3 Commercial waste.................................................................................................... 26

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4 Existing solid waste management system ................................................................................ 30
4.1 Collection and segregation............................................................................................... 30
4.2 Primary transportation and transfer station ...................................................................... 31
4.3 Final transportation and disposal methods ....................................................................... 31
4.4 Resource recovery methods ............................................................................................. 32
4.4.1 Recycling.................................................................................................................. 32
4.4.2 Composting .............................................................................................................. 32
4.5 Special waste management............................................................................................... 32
4.6 Public awareness and community mobilization ............................................................... 32
5 Institutional and financial aspects ............................................................................................ 33
5.1 Organizational structure ................................................................................................... 33
5.3 SWM service arrangements ............................................................................................. 33
5.4 SWM short-term, mid-term and long-term plan............................................................... 33
5.5 Actors involved in SWM.................................................................................................. 33
5.6 Allocation of budget and expenditures............................................................................. 33
5.7 Revenue from SWM service charges ............................................................................... 34
5.8 SWM acts and regulations................................................................................................ 34
6 Major problems and issues....................................................................................................... 35
6.1 Problems and issues at municipal level............................................................................ 35
6.2 Problems and issues at the source of generation .............................................................. 35
6.3 Problems and issues of the existing SWM practice.......................................................... 35
7 Conclusions and Recommendations......................................................................................... 36
7.1 Conclusions...................................................................................................................... 36
7.2 Recommendations............................................................................................................ 36
References........................................................................................................................................ 38
Annexes............................................................................................................................................ 39
Annex A: Recommendation letter from municipality.................................................................. 39
Annex B: Maps and Photographs................................................................................................. 42
Annex C: Surveyed institution and commercial establishment.................................................... 48

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1 Introduction
Solid waste is a byproduct of human activities which tends to increase with rapid urbanization,
improved living standards and changing consumption patterns. Solid waste refers to wastes from
households, municipal services, construction debris and the agricultural sector. This also includes
non-hazardous, non-liquid wastes from institutions and industries. According to the World Bank
(2001), its generation is greatly affected by a country’s development. Generally, the more
economically prosperous a country is, the more waste is generated per capita. Management of
increasing amounts of solid waste has become a major challenge in many cities in developing
countries. If solid waste is properly used, it can be a valuable resource, but if it is not effectively
managed, it can result in serious adverse impacts on environment and public health. Solid waste
management is therefore a critical component within urban sanitation and it is also one of the most
important and resource intensive services provided by municipalities. According to a survey done
by Nepal's Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), most urban residents consider solid waste
management as the most important environmental problem in urban areas of Nepal.
In Nepal, urbanization is increasing at an alarming rate putting immense pressure on municipal
services, particularly to manage the ever increasing amounts of waste. At present most of the waste
generated in municipalities are not being adequately managed thereby creating a serious health and
environmental hazard, particularly in the slum and squatter areas, where the residents have less
capacity to pay for better services and are often ignored by the official agencies. Therefore, poor
urban settlements are most affected because of indiscriminate dumping and lack of open spaces.
Both in rural and urban areas of Nepal, incineration of waste that has no obvious value,
occur sporadically and frequently, without energy recovery purposes. Burning piles of waste can
be seen along roads and riversides. Furthermore, inaccurate depositing of waste occurs along the
river banks and even in the rivers, causing hazardous health and environmental problems in-
situ as well as downstream (Pokhrel & Viraraghavan 2005).
According to the Local Self-Governance Act, 1999, municipalities are responsible for managing
solid waste, but municipalities in Nepal generally do not have the necessary skills or resources to
manage the waste in the proper manner. This act has empowered municipalities to take every
necessary action at local level. On average the 58 municipalities in the country are spending about
13 percent of their total budget on waste management related activities (SWMRMC, 2004), but in
most cases this amount is not being spent in an efficient manner.
Due to rapid urbanization and population growth of Kathmandu, government is unable to cope with
the increasing demand for solid waste management which resulted garbage and sanitation situation
in a chaotic state. Data shows that 335 metric ton waste is generated in KMC and Kathmandu
Metropolitan spends millions of rupees yearly for its management. Uncollected waste can be found
scattered inside communities, footpaths and along the streets. Management of solid waste is
extremely poor and the recycling of sewerage and industrial waste is almost non-existent.
Inadequate disposal of solid waste poses a risk to public health and the environment. Therefore,
this study attempts to explore the solid waste generation in KMC and its waste management
system.

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1.1 Municipality profile
1.1.1 Basic information
Kathmandu is the capital and largest metropolitan city in the hills of Bagmati zone, Central
development region, Nepal. The city is the urban core of the Kathmandu Valley in the Himalayas,
which also contains two sister cities namely Patan or Lalitpur, 5 kilometres to its southeast and
Bhaktapur, 14 kilometres to its east. The municipal area is 50.67 square kilometres (19.56 sq m).
Kathmandu was designated as a Safai Adda (Cleanning Office) in 1976 B.S. and was established as
the Municpality in 2009 B.S. Metropolitan Kathmandu is divided into five sectors namely the
Central Sector, the East Sector, the North Sector, the City Core and the West Sector. For civic
administration, the city is further divided into 35 administrative wards. The ward profile documents
for the 35 wards prepared by the Kathmandu Metropolitan Council is exhaustive and provides
information for each ward on population, the structure and condition of the houses, the type of
roads, educational, health and financial institutions, entertainment facilities, parking space, security
provisions and so forth. It also includes lists of development projects completed, on-going and
planned, along with informative data about the cultural heritage, festivals, historical sites and the
local inhabitants. Ward 16 is the largest with an area of 437.4 ha and Ward 26 is the smallest with
an area of 4 ha.
Map 1: Kathmandu Metropolitan City and its administrative boundary

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1.1.2 Geographical information
The Kathmandu Metropolitan City is located in the northwestern part of Kathmandu Valley having
Latitude of 27°32’13” and 27°49’10” north and longitude of 85°11’31” and 85°31’38” east. The
average elevation is 1,350 metres (4,430 ft) above the sea level. The city is bounded by
the Lalitpur Sub-metropolitan City in its south, Kirtipur Municipality in south-west, Madyapur
Thimi Municipality in east and different Village Development Committees of Kathmandu in north,
west and north-east. The city generally has a salubrious climate with comfortable warm days
followed by the cool mornings and nights. The average temperature during the summer season
varies from 28–30 °C (82–86 °F) and in winter season, the average temperature is 10.1 °C (50.2 °F)
(CBS, 2001).
Eight rivers flow through the city of which the Bagmati, Bishnumati, Dhobikhola,
Machhekhola and Tukucha rivers are predominant which are perennial rivers. Historical
and cultural value ponds like Gahana Pokhari (approx. 1,018 square meters), Rani Pokhari
(32 Ropani), Nag Pokhari, Kamal Pokhari and the oldest cultural importance lake like
Taudaha (43,030 sq.meters) and Indradaha are present. Kathmandu is a popular
pilgrimage spot for different religions with its major temples: Swoyambhunath,
Pashupatinath, Dakshinkali, Budhanilkantha etc. The condition of road in KMC is
polluted and precarious and can be disrupted during monsoon. About 1077 km of existing
road was black topped, 195 km was graveled and 105 km was earthened.
Dominant land use type in Kathmandu municipality is mixed which mostly comprises
residential, industrial and commercial areas. It occupies 2592.7 hectares, or 48.88% of the
total area. A total of eighteen land use types are found in this municipality (Table1) (Map
2, Annex B). The road area also occupies a significant land area (386.52 hectare).
Table 1: Kathmandu Metropolitan City Land Use
S.N. Land use type Land class Area(hectare) % of Total
1 Mixed Built up 2592.7 48.89
2 Cultivation Cultivation 891.18 16.80
3 Open area Built up 571.17 10.77
4 Road Road 386.52 7.29
5 Institutional Built up 385.89 7.28
6 Plantation Plantation 190.72 3.60
7 Heritage Built up 63.57 1.20
8 River River 60.61 1.14
9 Waste land Waste land 53.72 1.01
10 Airport runway Airport runway 33.07 0.62
11 Industrial Built up 32.25 0.61
12 Playground Playground 17.05 0.32
13 Park Park 7.04 0.13
14 Pond Pond 6.5 0.12
15 Parking Built up 6.22 0.12
16 Road median Road median 4.4 0.08
17 Others Built up 0.48 0.01
18 Sandy area Sandy area 0.21 0.00
19 Total calculated area 5303.3 100.00
Source: National Land Use Plan,2010 .

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1.1.3 Demographic information
Kathmandu’s urban cosmopolitan character has made it the most populous city in Nepal, recording
a population of 1,740,977 residents living in 469,145 households in the metropolitan city according
to the 2011 census. In a decade, the population has increased enormously. Kathmandu
Metropolitan City has a density of 4,408 per square kilometers. It is by far the largest urban
agglomerate in Nepal, accounting for 20% of the urban population in an area of 5,067 hectares
(12,520 acres). The average family size is 3.71 and the annual population growth rate was 4.76%
(Census, 2011). The ward-wise area distribution and population of Kathmandu Municipality is
shown in Table 2.
Table 2: Ward-wise area distribution and Population of Kathmandu Metropolitan City
Ward No. Area in
hectares
Population Total Households
Male Female
1 138.4 4433 4031 8464 1689
2 7249 6406 13655 3195
3 10667 10115 20782 4569
4 324.1 15329 14210 29539 6768
5 79 7178 8162 15340 3573
6 366.8 18767 20549 39316 8768
7 153.5 18449 21081 39530 9332
8 253.8 4993 4441 9434 2165
9 301.9 15675 13588 29263 6708
10 156.8 11809 14168 25977 6168
11 183.9 8336 6908 15244 3488
12 51 10,313
13 213.3 16209 13512 29721 6429
14 302.9 18600 15888 34488 7846
15 316.5 17150 15291 32441 7448
16 437.4 24506 20944 45450 10789
17 65.7 10627 9249 19876 4559
18 18.9 3845 4220 8065 1730
19 15.5 3600 3800 7400 1477
20 15.7 4329 3911 8240 1701
21 15.4 6462 5907 12369 2507
22 18.8 3025 2815 5840 1009
23 10.2 4364 3925 8289 1709
24 8.9 2926 2346 5272 925
25 10.3 2199 2111 4310 744
26 4 1911 1853 3764 757
27 7.6 4021 3768 7789 1542
28 6.8 2812 2650 5462 1088
29 218.6 13204 11339 24543 5582
30 25.4 5154 4742 9896 2041
31 103.7 8354 6148 14502 3252
32 128 13604 10751 24355 5694
33 85.7 11686 9911 21597 5064
34 232.1 25617 20519 46136 11039
35 395 19295 15889 35184 8716
Source: CBS 2001 Report

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1.1.4 Institutional, commercial and other facilities
Kathmandu has been established and is growing as a capital of institutional, commercial and many
other facilities. Development is people concerned and people are development oriented.
Kathmandu is the pioneer district in education and in many aspects in Nepal. Durbar High School
(the first school of Nepal), Trichandra College (the first college of Nepal), Padma Kanya College
(the first women's college) are all located in Kathmandu city. Tribhuwan University, the first
university of Nepal, is located in Kirtipur municipality of Kathmandu district. Besides these,
thousands of educational institutions are located in the district which caters students from Nepal,
India, and Bangladesh etc. The total number of schools including all primary, Lower secondary,
Secondary and Higher secondary is 3,313. Likewise, the total Tribhuvan University affiliated
campuses/ colleges under TU are 302 in number (Census, 2011). Healthcare in Kathmandu is the
most developed in Nepal, and the city and surrounding valley is home to some of the best hospitals
and clinics in the country. Notable hospitals include Bir Hospital, Trubhuwan University Institute
of Medicine (Teaching Hospital), Kathmandu Model Hospital, Tribhuwan Chandra Army Hospital,
Om Hospital, Norvic Hospital and the city is supported by specialist hospitals such as Shahid
Shukra Tropical Hospital, Kathmandu Veterinary Hospital, Nepal Eye Hospital, Kanti Children's
Hospital, Prasuti Griha (Obstetrics & Gynecology center), Hospital and Rehabilitation Center for
Disabled Children (HRDC), Gangalal Cardiology Hospital, Neuro Center, Spinal Rehabilitation
center,. Most of the general hospitals are located in the city centre although several clinics are
located elsewhere in Kathmandu district. According to Department of Health Services 2010, there
are 1,671 health institutions.Kathmandu is the most important industrial and commercial centre in
Nepal, serving as the headquarters of most companies, banks and organizations. Most of the
industry of Nepal is in Kathmandu among which Tourism is one of the main industries. All small,
big and cottage industries are found in KMC accounting 25020 in number.
1.1.5 Solid waste processing facilities
In 1981, the German Technical Co-operation Agency (GTZ) funded a project which included
Nepalese participation of the MSW management in Kathmandu Valley. The Solid Waste
Management and Resource Mobilisation Center (SWMRMC) was established and received the
responsibility of the MSW management within the valley. The project consisted of a trial phase of
two years and an acting phase of seven years in which the first LFS, Gokarna LFS, was constructed
(1984-1986). Within the acting phase, an organic waste processing plant at Teku in KMC was also
introduced in 1986. In the final phase of the project (1990), the entire responsibility, except
for some financial aid, was delegated to the SWMRMC (Anderzén & Blees, 2003).
Teku compost plant was closed in 1992 due to insufficient maintenance and massive public
objections. Furthermore, the LFS of Gokarna was closed between 1994 and 1995, and subsequently
more MSW ended up in the rivers. In 1995 when Gokarna LFS re-opened KMC was given the
responsibility of the LFS (Anderzén & Blees, 2003).
In 1999 the Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA) started their involvement in the
MSW management of KMC (Anderzén & Blees, 2003), Since a few years, the operation of LFS
outside of KMC is undergoing, Okharpauwa LFS (Figure 2) (Annex B). The allocation of
Okharpauwa LFS is approximately 26 km outside of KMC in the district of Nuwakot (Pokhrel &
Viraraghavan 2005). In the meantime Sisdole LFS, a temporary solution, has been in
operation since 2005. It covers 485 ropanies of area and has a capacity of 4.2 million metric tons.

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Sisdole LFS was when finished, projected only to last for 2-3 years (Khanal et al., 2009). Since the
projected operation time was due to last year (2008), Sisdole LFS is operating with too much MSW
deposited every day. Daily Waste transfer from KMC was 300-350 ton/day. Lots of problems due
to landfill sites have been noticed such as water pollution, air pollution, soil pollution, noise
pollution etc. Thus, the people living in the area of, and on the road which leads to Sisdole
LFS, are frequently protesting against proceeding operation of the LFS.
The semi-aerobic system has been incorporated into the Sisdol LFS considering the advantage of
reducing leachate intensity and methane gas generation and of rapid stabilization of the disposed
waste with cost effective and simple construction and operation manner. Though landfill site was
operated but, experts have concluded that Okharpauwa is technically, environmentally and
economically unsuitable as landfill site.
The future new landfill site is proposed at Bancharedada area (1,700 ropanies) in Nuwakot district,
26 km away from Kathmandu.
1.2 Objectives of study
A broad objective of the study is to study and document the baseline survey on existing solid waste
management practices in Kathmandu Metropolitan City. And other specific objectives of the study
are:
To examine current municipal solid waste management system in KMC.
To determine the solid waste generation of KMC in quality and to study about its
composition.
To study about the existing awareness level and concern of solid waste management
among the local communities, and about roles as well as activities of different
stakeholders.

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2 Study methodologies
The study was conducted using primary and secondary information.
2.1 Identification of waste generators
Depending upon the Geographic location, Seasons, Collection frequency, Population diversity,
Extent of salvaging and recycling, Public attitude and Legislation waste generation varies in an
area.
2.1.1 Types of solid waste
Solid waste can be classified into different types depending on their source:
a) Household waste generally classified as municipal waste,
b) Industrial waste as hazardous waste, and
c) Biomedical waste or hospital waste as infectious waste
Municipal solid waste
Municipal solid waste consists of household waste, construction and demolition debris, sanitation
residue, and waste from streets. This garbage is generated mainly from residential, institutional and
commercial complexes. With rising urbanization, change in lifestyle and food habits, the amount of
municipal solid waste has been increasing rapidly and its composition is changing.
Hazardous waste
Industrial and hospital waste is considered hazardous as they may contain toxic substances. Certain
types of household waste are also hazardous. Hazardous wastes could be highly toxic to humans,
animals, and plants; are corrosive, highly inflammable, or explosive; and react when exposed to
certain things. Household wastes that can be categorized as hazardous waste include old batteries,
shoe polish, paint tins, old medicines, and medicine bottles. Similarly, Hospital waste contaminated
by chemicals used in hospitals is considered hazardous.
Hospital waste
Hospital waste is generated during the diagnosis, treatment, or immunization of human beings or
animals or in research activities in these fields or in the production or testing of biological. It may
include wastes like sharps, soiled waste, disposables, anatomical waste, cultures, discarded
medicines, chemical wastes, etc. These are in the form of disposable syringes, swabs, bandages,
body fluids, human excreta, etc. This waste is highly infectious and can be a serious threat to
human health if not managed in a scientific and discriminate manner.
2.1.2 Sources of solid waste
There are two basic sources of solid waste: non-municipal and municipal. Non-municipal solid
waste is the discarded which include solid material from industry, agriculture, mining, and oil and
gas production where as municipal solid waste includes waste from residences, businesses, and city

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buildings. The waste generated varies in their characteristics and quantity according to their source.
The examples of waste generation sources along with types of solid waste are provided in Table 3.
Table 3: Sources and Types of Solid Wastes
Source Typical waste generators Types of solid wastes
Residential Single and multifamily
dwellings
Food wastes, paper, cardboard,
plastics, textiles, leather, yard
wastes, wood, glass, metals,
ashes, special wastes (e.g.,
bulky items, consumer
electronics, white goods,
batteries, oil, tires), and
household hazardous wastes.
Industrial Light and heavy
manufacturing, fabrication,
construction sites, power
and chemical plants.
Housekeeping wastes,
packaging, food wastes,
construction and demolition
materials, hazardous wastes,
ashes, special wastes.
Commercial Stores, hotels, restaurants,
markets, office buildings,
etc.
Paper, cardboard, plastics,
wood, food wastes, glass,
metals, special wastes,
hazardous wastes.
Institutional Schools, hospitals, prisons,
government centers
Same as commercial
Construction and demolition New construction sites, road
repair, renovation sites,
demolition of buildings
Wood, steel, concrete, dirt,
etc.
Municipal services Street cleaning, landscaping,
parks, beaches, other
recreational areas, water and
wastewater treatment plants.
Street sweepings; landscape
and tree trimmings; general
wastes from parks, beaches,
and other recreational areas;
sludge.
Process (manufacturing,
etc.)
Heavy and light
manufacturing, refineries,
chemical plants, power
plants, mineral extraction
and processing.
Industrial process wastes,
scrap materials, off-
specification products, slay
tailings.
Agriculture Crops, orchards, vineyards,
dairies, feedlots, farms.
Spoiled food wastes,
agricultural wastes,
hazardous wastes (e.g.,
pesticides).

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2.2 Data sources and data collection method
Two types of data sources were referred in this study, primary and secondary. Primary information
was obtained by interviewing local authorities related to waste management such as Kathmandu
municipality and surveying different personnel in household (HH), school/college,
government/non-government offices, shop/restaurant/hotel. As only households, institutions and
commercial places were chosen for data collection as a source of waste generation in the survey,
semi-structured interviews and direct observation along with waste generation weigh and
segregation were done for gathering information. In addition, name of the respondents, interview
date, location were also recorded.
The information from the household was collected by using a structured questionnaire. The
questions were filled by visiting the selected households in May 2012. The households were visited
twice to complete the questionnaire. On the first day socio-economic information were collected
and households were requested to deposit the wastes (24 hours) in plastic bags. On the next day the
wastes were weighted and segregated into different components.
KMC was chosen as study site. The Kathmandu Metropolitan is divided into 35 wards. 20
wards,1,2,4,7,8,10,11,13,15,16,17,20,21,25,29,30,31,33,34,35 wards out of the 35wards were
selected using Stratified Random Sampling technique on the basis of core/peripheral scenario,
socio-economical status and population size for collection of data. Wards are not homogenous but
heterogeneous in terms of population density and land use patterns. The surveyed wards were
shown in Map 3 (Annex B).
To depict the reliability of the overall situation of the population, the selected sample should
contain a sufficient number of households. Therefore, to reduce costs, simplify management and
control the quality of the interviews, the sample size was kept within reasonable limits. In order to
ensure representative views, each household, commercial and institution selection was done with
much attention.
Materials required for measuring the quantity of waste sampled:
1. Digital balance 2. Sampling bag 3. Gloves 4. Mask 5. File 6. Ruler
2.2.1 Household SWM survey
Ten households from each ward were surveyed using structured questionnaire. Thus, in total 200
households were selected from the selected 20 wards. The households were selected randomly
following Right-Hand rule. Attempts were made to represent the entire locality within the ward.
The process of household SWM survey is as follows:
First the data collection was conducted from 10 different households of each ward with the
help of structured questionnaire. Along with that, request was made to the surveyed HH to
keep the 24 hours waste for the measurement.
Then in the next day the waste was collected in the bag provided having the known
dimension from the respective house as the waste of 24 hours was needed. The waste of
individual house was weighted at the same time using the digital balance.

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Now the waste was transported to the place where it was segregated into different
components like organic, paper, plastic etc.
The volume was calculated and the respective density too.
After that the waste was segregated as given in the prescribed format into different
Then the weight of different components was taken and their respective percentage was
calculated.
2.2.2 Institutional survey
In case of institution, 1 school/college and 1 government/non government office was taken from
each ward. Thus in total, 20 schools/colleges and 20 government/non government offices were
selected from the selected 20 wards. To get the better result it was tried to take all types of
institutional places like from primary school like Maya lok Vidhyashram to Amrit Science College.
The government and non government schools as well as colleges were also included.
Similarly, the different offices for example Yeti airlines of Thamel, Ward office of Swayambhu,
Goodwill Finance limited, Department of Plant Resources and Surya Dainiki were selected for data
collection. Survey of institutions in consecutive wards was presented in Table 4 (Annex C).
The procedure followed in institutional survey is as follows:
First the data was collected from two institutions of each ward, one school or college and
one office as mentioned above.
Then the next day, the waste was collected in the bag provided having the known
dimension from the respective institutions as the waste of 24 hours was required. The
waste of individual institution was weighted on the spot using the digital balance.
Now the waste was transported to the place to segregate.
The volume and density were then calculated.
Then the weight of different components was taken and their respective percentage was
calculated.
2.2.3 Commercial survey
The survey was conducted in shops and restaurants regarding the commercial waste. For this, one
shop and one restaurant/hotel were selected from each ward. Thus in total, 40 commercial
establishments were selected from the selected 20 wards. To have variety in the waste generated
different market places like supermarket, cold store, coffee shop, food café and restaurant, Kalimati
Tarakari Bazaar and many others were chosen. The procedure of survey of commercial
establishment in consecutive wards is presented in Table 5 (Annex C).

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The sampling process was carried out same as in institution survey but in place of schools, colleges
and offices, different shops and restaurants were taken which was given below:
Initially, the data was collected from one shop and one restaurant/hotel of each ward.
Then the next day, the waste was collected in the bag provided having the known
dimension from the respective institutions to get the waste of 24 hours. The waste of
individual shop and restaurant/hotel was weighted using the digital balance.
After that the waste was transported to the place where it was segregated.
The volume and density were then calculated.
Finally, the weight of different components was taken and their respective percentage was
calculated.
2.2.4 Standard questionnaires
The questioners contain structured questions regarding information on waste generator, waste
generation and management practices, their awareness levels, suggestion/opinions and other
relevant aspects of solid waste management in household level, institution and municipal level.
2.3 Secondary sources of data
Secondary data sources were obtained from yearly reports, magazine, books, articles, journals and
publications on solid waste management and local council department record. These were mainly
collected through local authorities from people involved in the area. In addition, internet and
libraries were used in the search for appropriate information.
2.4 Observation and photography
The photographs during data collection, segregation of waste and others activities are attached into
Annex B.
2.5 Quality control
In some wards like ward number 1 and 15 it was not sure about getting the waste from some houses
so one more households were taken in case of ward number 1 and two in ward number 15.
Likewise, in ward number 29 and 31, two more households each were chosen as those were the
core places within Kathmandu. Furthermore, in some restaurants, it was difficult to transport all the
waste. Due to this, only small amount of waste was taken as the representative sample of the whole
but the total waste generated was noted for characterization.
The information obtained from questionnaire survey, in case of doubt, was cross verified through
interactions with other locals and key respondents

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2.6 Study limitations
This study covers solid waste management of only residential, institutional and commercial sectors;
medical and industrial wastes are not included in this study.
Due to resource limitations, the waste generation study is designed with limited samples, and one
time sampling of waste generation
Despite of all the limitations, as the study was carried out under a scientific design, and as all the
methodologies were used very effectively, this study is compressive and reflects the present status
of solid waste management in Kathmandu Metropolitan city.

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3 Solid waste generation and physical characteristics
3.1 Introduction
The waste collection in Kathmandu Metropolitan city was categorized as household waste,
institutional waste and commercial waste. The number of wards chosen was 20.Within these wards
10 households were selected randomly. Regarding the commercial and institutional waste, 2
institutions and commercial places each were chosen randomly. The institutions and commercial
places included schools, colleges, Government and Non Government offices, shops, restaurants and
hotels.
The materials used for characterization of waste were bag, gloves, mask, weighing spring. The
waste sampled was of 24 hours.
The waste was segregated into 8 components namely organic, plastics, paper, glass, metal, textile,
rubber and leather and others. Then their individual weight was taken and respective percentage
was calculated to get the composition of waste. It was found that the organic waste was found to be
more in case of household waste whereas in institutional waste, paper and plastics were observed to
be dominant. Similarly, in commercial waste, in case of shops, paper and plastics were to be in
greater proportion and in restaurants and hotels organic waste was more which are shown below in
pie-charts, bar diagrams and tables.
Referring to the other solid waste surveys conducted in Kathmandu Metropolitan city, the result
obtained is within the range of previous ones.
3.2 Waste characterization
3.2.1 Domestic waste
The problem of Domestic Waste is drawing increasing attention of the people as huge garbage is
lying down uncollected beside the roads, streets dustbins and on the ground which is causing threat
to the environment as well as endangering public health. This waste is generated as consequences
of household activities such as the cleaning, cooking, repairing empty containers, packaging, huge
use of plastic carry bags. There is no system of segregation of organic, inorganic and recyclable
wastes at the household level. Door-to-door collection is rarely practiced community collection
bins are poorly managed and are usually no more than open dumps on the roadside.
The surveyed wards mostly lie in the core area. The waste generation in the surveyed wards was
mostly categorized into organic waste, plastics, paper, glass, textiles, metals and others (wood
products). According to the data from the field survey conducted in May 2012, the average per
capita household waste generation rate is 232.1 gm/day. Out of 20 selected wards, ward number 31
had the highest organic waste generation followed by ward number 29 compared to others. This
might be due to the joint family nature. Similarly, ward number 21 and 11 had the lowest
generation of organic waste which is mainly due to the making of compost at their own territory.
Plastics seemed to be highest in ward number 30 whereas paper seemed to be highest in ward
number 21. In case of ward number 20, the waste composition was limited to organic waste,
plastics and paper only. The composition of waste by ward wise is presented in Table 4.

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Table 4: Ward-wise composition of house hold waste by weight
Ward
No.
Composition of waste(in kg)
Total
organic
waste
Plastics
Paper/paper
products
Glass Metals Textiles
Rubber and
leather
others
1 14.37 1.78 0.66 0.43 - 0.97 - - 18.57
2 4.92 1.67 0.24 - 0.35 0.05 - - 7.23
4 7.03 0.38 0.37 0.05 - 0.67 - - 8.5
7 9.89 1.74 0.92 0.84 - 0.2 - - 13.56
8 9.29 2.04 1.2 0.72 0.32 0.58 - - 14.15
10 5.38 1.2 0.58 - 0.24 0.3 - - 7.7
11 2.54 1.61 1.15 1.08 0.23 0.41 - 0.25 7.27
13 7.51 1.74 1.01 - - 0.52 - - 10.78
15 8.8 1.87 0.96 - - 0.91 - - 12.54
16 3.79 1.52 1.18 - - 0.02 0.92 0.21 7.61
17 3.69 1.84 0.61 0.27 - 0.4 - - 6.81
20 5.32 1.49 0.33 - - - - - 7.14
21 2.17 2.12 1.43 1.29 0.37 0.61 - - 7.99
25 3.32 0.78 0.92 1.08 0.77 - - 0.88 7.75
29 12.14 1.61 0.51 - 0.18 0.16 - - 14.6
30 3.72 2.8 1.37 0.49 0.22 0.28 0.35 0.54 9.77
31 6.98 0.39 0.28 - - 0.17 0.34 - 8.16
33 7.28 0.92 0.55 0.32 - 0.39 0.25 - 9.7
34 7.6 1.05 0.64 0.06 0.21 - - - 9.56
35 8.94 2.02 1.86 0.42 0.08 0.4 - - 13.72
Table 5: Household waste generation from each ward (according to primary data)
Ward No. Waste Generation (kg/day)
Average per capita generation
(kg/day)
1 18.57 0.295
2 7.23 0.142
4 8.50 0.170
7 13.56 0.315
8 14.15 0.244
10 7.70 0.203
11 7.27 0.291
13 10.78 0.225
15 12.54 0.209
16 7.61 0.331
17 6.81 0.151
20 7.40 0.154
21 7.99 0.285
25 7.75 0.287

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29 14.60 0.256
30 9.77 0.375
31 8.16 0.148
33 9.70 0.249
34 9.56 0.222
35 13.72 0.312
Source: Survey of 2012
Figure 1: Bar chart of Composition of household waste of different wards
Table 6: Household Waste Composition of Kathmandu Metropolitan City
S.N. Composition
Amount
(kg/day)
Per capita
weight (kg/day)
Amount of
waste (%)
1 Organic waste 134.98 0.154 66.46
2 Plastics 30.56 0.035 15.05
3 Paper/Paper products 16.77 0.0192 8.26
4 Glass 7.05 0.0081 3.47
5 Metals( Ferrous, Aluminum and others) 2.97 0.0034 1.46
6 Textiles 7.04 0.0081 3.47
7 Rubber and leather 1.86 0.0021 0.91
8 Others 1.88 0.0022 0.92
Total 203.11 0.2321 100
Total Solid Waste: 203.11 kg
Total waste generators: 875 persons
Therefore, average solid waste generation per person is 232.1 gm /day.

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Figure 2: Pie chart of characteristic of household waste
The average waste per capita per day in Kathmandu Metropolitan city is found to be 0.2321 kg.
Since the population of Kathmandu Metropolitan city is 1006656 according to 2011 census, the
average daily waste generated in house hold is 233.9 ton/day (233969.86 kg).
3.2.2 Institutional waste
Waste generated at institutions such as schools, colleges, libraries, hospitals, prisons, government
and non-governmental offices etc. are considered as institutional waste. The composition of
institutional waste focusing schools/colleges by ward wise is shown in Figure 4 and
government/non-government offices is shown in Figure 5 below. Paper and plastics make up the
most significant fraction, in some sectors more than half of the waste. Comparing the institutional
waste of each ward, the higher waste generation was observed in ward 31 followed by ward 15, 29
and 30 respectively whereas lower waste generation was observed in ward 34. The detail waste
generation per day was presented in Table 9. The average waste generation by the institutions is
288.83 gm per day.
Table 7: Institutional waste generation from each ward
Ward No.
School /
college
Government/Non
Government office
Total waste
generated Average
1 3.29 0.36 3.65 1.825
2 4.83 1.27 6.1 3.05
4 1.28 0.15 1.43 0.715
7 3.71 0.4 4.11 2.055
8 7.02 0.76 7.78 3.89
10 3.4 0.57 3.97 1.985
11 3.22 9.16 6.19 3.095

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13 10 5 15 7.5
15 1.03 0.78 1.81 0.905
16 6.62 1.81 8.43 4.215
17 1.63 0.21 1.84 0.92
20 3.04 4.72 7.76 3.88
21 3.35 0.5 3.85 1.925
25 0.69 2.05 2.74 1.37
29 12.5 0.56 13.06 6.53
30 8.72 1.76 10.48 5.24
31 16 0.92 16.92 8.46
33 4.23 1.57 5.8 2.9
34 1.81 0.69 2.5 1.25
35 7.89 0.35 8.24 4.12
Figure 3: Bar chart of Composition of schools/colleges waste of different wards

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Figure 4: Bar chart of Government / Non Government Offices of different wards
Table 8: Institutional Waste Composition of Kathmandu Metropolitan City(according to
primary data)
S.N. Composition
Amount
(kg/day)
Per capita
weight (kg/day)
Amount of
waste (%)
1 Organic waste 41.17 1.02925 35.64
2 Plastics 23.48 0.587 20.32
4 Glass 3.04 0.076 2.63
6 Textiles 5.77 0.14425 5
7 Rubber and leather 1.57 0.03925 1.36
8 Others 2.97 0.07425 2.57
Total 115.53 2.88825 100
Source: Baseline Survey, 2012
Total waste generators: 40
Therefore, solid waste generation per institute is 288.83 gm /day.

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Fi
gure 5: Pie chart of characteristics of Institutional waste
3.2.3 Commercial waste
Commercial waste is generated from commercial places like restaurants, shops etc. and
large variations in waste composition are found in terms of which products and services are
offered. The commercial wastes have characteristics similar to that of domestic waste.
More solid wastes are generally produced from the commercial places. The commercial
waste generation was observed higher in wards 10, 30, 11 respectively. The detail waste
generation per day was presented in Table 11. On comparing the waste composition, organic waste
showed significant fraction about 59.43% and plastics and paper also accounted noticeable fraction
Table 12. The composition of commercial waste focusing shops by ward wise is shown in figure 6
and hotels/restaurants is shown in Figure 7 below. The average waste generation by the commercial
establishments is 5.29 kg / day.
Table 9: Commercial waste generation from each ward (according to primary data)
Ward No. Shops Restaurants/Hotels
Total waste
generated Average
1 1.22 7.36 8.58 4.29
2 0.83 3.29 4.12 2.06
4 2.77 6 8.77 4.385
7 0.46 3.73 4.19 2.095
8 2.26 4.41 6.67 3.335
10 0.21 50 50.21 25.105
11 0.98 17.8 18.78 9.39
13 3.5 11 14.5 7.25
15 5.04 2.3 7.34 3.67
16 0.81 9.4 10.21 5.105
17 0.28 2.04 2.32 1.16
20 0.53 1.3 1.83 0.915

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21 2.5 4.25 6.75 3.375
25 0.85 11.2 12.05 6.025
29 0.87 10.55 11.42 5.71
30 0.68 23.4 24.08 12.04
31 1.72 6.93 8.65 4.325
33 0.86 1.71 2.57 1.285
34 0.11 4.6 4.71 2.355
35 7.25 2.93 10.18 5.09
Figure 6: Bar chart of composition of shops waste of different wards

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Figure 7: Bar chart of restaurants/hotels of different wards
Table 10: Commercial waste composition of Katmandu Metropolitan City
S.N. Composition
Amount
(kg/day)
Per capita
weight
(kg/day)
Amount of
waste (%)
1 Organic waste 125.62 3.141 59.43
2 Plastics 38.12 0.953 18.04
4 Glass 12.58 0.315 5.95
6 Textiles 0.64 0.016 0.30
7 Rubber and leather 0 0 0
8 Others 2.05 0.051 0.97
Total 211.36 5.284 100.00
Source: Baseline Survey, 2012
Total waste generators: 40
Therefore, solid waste generation per commercial place is 5.29 kg /day

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Figure 8: Pie chart of characteristic commercial waste

30
4 Existing solid waste management system
Due to urbanization, environmental sanitation, including solid waste management has become a
critical issue (Devkota et al. 2004). Although, small urban centers were declared to be
municipalities; they suffer from a lack of infrastructural, technical and financial resources to tackle
with the problems of waste management. With increasing public awareness about good health and
a clean environmental sanitation, solid waste management has now become the priorities of the
municipalities in Nepal. Municipalities, for managing the waste, are expressing their desire to
develop final disposal system even though collection systems are still not in place. They are also
promoting waste reduction, reuse, and recycling among the communities.
4.1 Collection and segregation
The municipal sweepers clean the streets and collect the waste, usually by handcarts, before
loading trucks or tippers. Daily from 5:30-8:30 in the Morning Street sweeping or cleaning of
streets is carried out in main roads. In KMC, 890 sweepers are involved in street sweeping (Source:
KMC, solid waste management section, SWMS 2067). In street sweeping, along with the KMC,
Private contractors and NGOs are also involved. In some Tole and community street sweeping are
managed by local clubs and Tole Sudhar Samitee. The collected waste from sweeping is disposed
in containers/Bins, collection vehicles or in open piles. The existing collection services in KMC are
container service and road side pick-up. Door to door collection is conducted by the private sector,
NGOs and community based organization including local clubs and Tole Sudhar Samiteei. The
door-to-door collection services usually use tricycles or rickshaws for collection of waste. The
private sector collectors charge about Rs 150 to 300 per month to the household .Some people still
discharge their waste in open places or other public areas such as nearby river banks.
Table 11: Waste collection system of KMC
Waste collection system Amount of waste(ton/day)
Roadside collection 274
Door-to-door collection 110
Container collection 21
Total 405
Source: KMC, (solid waste management section, SWMS) 2067
Source segregation is one of the best methods of Solid waste management. Source segregation
helps to manage the waste easily and efficiently. Resource recovery such as reuse, recycle,
composting can be done through source segregation. There is no good practice of source
segregation. Some of the households have been practicing segregation of organic waste for
composting. Beside these, beverage bottles, used books and copies, newspapers, metals are
segregated and sold them to scarp dealers in most of household. Pollution Control and
Environmental Monitoring Center (NEPCEMAC) collects the household waste from few wards
(about 1300 family) and segregate the waste into mainly biodegedrable and non biodegdrable .
Biodegdrable waste is used in composting. Similarly Community recycling center located at ward
no 12, lagan buys the segregated recycling materials such as plastic, paper, irons metals etc from

31
individual .this help and encourage people to segerate the nonbiodegedrable waste i.e plastic,
papers in house hold level. This segregation of waste at source is most effective method to reduce
the volume of waste to dispose.
4.2 Primary transportation and transfer station
In Kathmandu, the waste is collected from different wards and taken to Teku Transfer Station.
Tractors (Chinese), trippers, and skips are used in the collection of waste from the each ward of the
KMC. The collection of waste is carried out daily at 5:30-8:30am in the morning. The remaining
collection is again done in the afternoon from1-5pm.The Waste collected from road side container
is taken to transfer station daily. The waste collected by private sector i.e. door-to door collection is
directly taken to the Sisdol landfill site. The waste of 110 tones is collected daily by the private
sector.
Table 12: Vehicles and equipments used in collection of waste in primary transportation
S.N Vehicles Capacity(m3/trip) Number
1 Tractor(Chinese) 1.57 2
2 Tripper(Eicher) 3.75 16
3 Tripper(Mazda) 4.5 10
4 Compactor(Japanese) - 3
5 Compactor(Japanese) 1
6 Skip(Toyota) 4 4
7 Skip(TATA) 4.5 1
8 Skip(Leyland) 6 2
Total 39
Source: KMC, SWMS 2067
4.3 Final transportation and disposal methods
The final disposal of solid waste is being carried out in Sisdol sanitary landfill site since
2005.Sisdol sanitary land fill site is located at Okharpauwa-4, Nuwakot. The total area of landfill
site is 15 hectare. The sisdolself extension was started from July 2011. It has the capacity of
1255894 m3 and having the expected life span of 6.75 year.(sisdol landfill site) About 405 tons of
waste is dumped daily in Sisdol land fill site(Table 12,KMC,SWMRC2067). Twenty five vehicles
(Table 14) were used in final transportation of waste to the land fill site. Compactor (Leyland), Roll
off (Leyland), dump Truck (under GTZ assistance) are in final transportation means of waste from
Teku transfer station to Sisdol sanitary landfill site. The waste pickers pick up recyclable materials
such as plastic, paper and metals etc. The waste in the landfill site are spread and compacted by
loader. Chemical spray is also done so as to reduce the odor. Then the waste is covered with thin
layer of soil daily.
Table 13: Vehicles and equipment used in Final (Sisdol) transportation
S.N Vehicles Capacity Numbers
1 Compactor(Leyland) 14 7
2 Roll off(Leyland) 15 17
3 Dump Truck(GTZ) 20 1
Source: KMC, SWMS 2067

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4.4 Resource recovery methods
4.4.1 Recycling
Recycling of solid waste as a resource will reduce the amount of waste that needs to be disposed as
well as the cost of waste management. Usually newspaper, old books and copies and metals are
separated .In ward no 21, community recycling Centreis being running by Youth Corner club with
the help of KMC since 2061. This center buys the Recycling materials especially plastic bags from
the individuals. The Centre buys the used Plastic at Rs 5-8 per kilogram.
4.4.2 Composting
KMC, Nepal Pollution Control and Environmental Monitoring Center (NEPCEMAC) and Bio
camp Nepal are involved in composting. In house hold level also few people has been practicing
the composting of the kitchen waste.KMC has sold more than 6000 compost bins (2002-2011) of
100 liter capacity. The bins are designed to be attractive, light weight, durable and large enough to
handle waste from one household. The cost of compost bin is Rs 1500.The bin has two
compartments - the top one for waste and the bottom one for compost. In order to allow natural
aeration, the bin has holes on the sides and a bar screen between the compartments. The
municipality is currently selling the bins along with a set of necessary accessories. These encourage
households to reduce waste at source by practicing household composting. NEPCEMAC
Composting plant was established in 2004 at Hadigaun. NEPCEMAC collects the waste from ward
15, 16, and some parts of 3, 4, 5 .The waste is collected from about 1300 families for composting.
Its production rate is 1000kg/day. There is one more composting plant run by Kathmandu
municipality at Teku transfer station. It was started in June 2005 having the capacity of 500 kg per
day. Currently the compost plant is not in operation.
4.5 Special waste management
Health care waste from hospitals, clinics and other sources can be very hazardous as they can be
infectious or can contain various chemicals. Although the total amount of such waste is normally a
small portion of the overall municipal waste stream, they need to be separated at source and
managed properly so that they do not contaminate other waste or pose a public health risk.
Although there is no proper management of these wastes, few hospitals manage the health care
waste by simple incineration.
4.6 Public awareness and community mobilization
Kathmandu municipality has been running programs related to the solid waste management such as
public awareness, school education, training, compost bin distribution, mass education etc.
Different NGOs and private sector are also involved in creating the awareness program. Recently
KMC successfully carried out the one week special cleaning campaign initiated by Government.
The objective of the program is to create awareness and the clean Kathmandu. The slogan of this
program is “Safa Kathmandu-Hamro Kathmandu “.

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5 Institutional and financial aspects
5.1 Organizational structure
In Kathmandu Metropolitan City, four sections are working parallel with environment tasks;
Environment Section, Maintenance Section and Urban Environment Section (KMC, 2003). The
environment Section of KMC has the responsibility for the entire solid waste management in
Kathmandu city i.e. organization, street sweeping, collection, transports, transfer station and final
disposal. The administrative part of the section works with tasks as community awareness
programs; school children programs, training programs etc.
5.2 Human resources and capacity
For supervision and monitoring, environmental officer, Engineer & supervisor are employed. For
transportation and disposal, some number of driver are involved and 890 number of sweepers is
involved for street sweeping, space cleaning and collecting solid waste.
5.3 SWM service arrangements
The municipality with own manpower, private contractors and NGOs operationally manage street
sweeping. For collection of waste, container service and road side pick-up are provided.
Containers, bins, collection vehicles and open piles are being used to dispose the collected waste
from sweeping. Waste collection service coverage 95% of urban population in the existing
condition. Rickshaw, tipper and drum trucks are used to transport the collected waste and then
finally disposed on sanitary landfill, Sisdol. For final disposal bulldozers, tractors, power tillers,
tippers, dump trucks, compactors and water tankers are used.
5.4 SWM short-term, mid-term and long-term plan
Municipality has new long term plans for constructing new landfill site at Nuwakot VDC.
Preparation of short and long term Action Plan each year. Establishment of a community recycling
center has been encouraged by KMC at ward no. 21.Improvement of transportation and collection
system, selection and construction of more transfer stations and landfill site, promotion of Public
participation and behavior change by establishment of more nature clubs, more training programs
and regularly interaction with locals, conduct a media campaign for waste segregation at source,
lobbing for tax exception for recycling materials and management and Implementation of
community based cleanup programs (like streets clean up, community parks, historical places,
temples, river cleanup programs) are the short and mid-term plans.
5.5 Actors involved in SWM
Solid waste management section, landfill site management section, parks and greenery promotion
section and mechanical section are involved in the SWM. Also Private sectors, community based
organizations; Tole Sudhar Samitee and youth clubs are involved for door to door collection with
or without segregation, street sweeping, public place cleaning, composting, recyclable or reusable
activities, public awareness, transportation and disposal. For secondary transportation, 25 units (17
roll of tippers (donated by Japanese Government, 7 multi compactor donated by Indian
Government and 1 container) are being used.
5.6 Allocation of budget and expenditures
20.4% of total municipality budget budgeted in SWM in 2067 and 22.17% expenditure in SWM in
2067. In 2068, budgeted 19.77% and 26.72% expenditure which is increasing nearly 4.5% , from

34
2067 to 2068 then thoroughly in 2069 budgeted 23.32%. The budget is used for SWM services like
materials, supplies, fuel, lubricants, landfill site operation, equipment, vehicle maintenance, public
awareness and education. (Account section, KMC)
5.7 Revenue from SWM service charges
Total actual solid waste management, service collection fee in 2066 is Nrs.1,01, 28,027.00 which
includes training, container/bin/composting, in 2067 NRs. 99, 49,548.00 and NRs. 851,698.00 in
2068. Garbage bin, container & observation visit are the mechanism of the SWM service.
Container service and road side pick-up are the major sources of collection.
5.8 SWM acts and regulations
Policy and legislation are the significant measures for conducting the works smoothly and
effectively. So, laws relating to solid waste also make the management process smooth and
effective and a working basis for offices and officials. For effective management of solid waste in
urban areas of Nepal, Nepal has developed the Solid Waste Management National Policy 1996.
Following are some of the legal and policy setup in the solid waste management sector in Nepal:
1. Municipality Act, 1990
2. The Nepal environment policy and action plan, 1993 (nepap (3))
3. National waste management council, 1996
4. National solid waste management policy, 1996
5. Local self governance act/rules, 1996/1997
6. Solid waste management and resource mobilization act, 1987
7. The town development act, 1988
8. The environment protection act and regulation, 1997
9. Environment protection rule, 1997 (first amendment, 1999)
10. Solid waste Act, 2011

35
6 Major problems and issues
6.1 Problems and issues at municipal level
Lack of trained personnel, standardized vehicles and frequent breakdowns of vehicles
Lack of effective system of waste collection by municipality vehicles
The municipal is facing problems by poor response for its efforts to encourage waste
minimization at source
The municipality charges a very nominal yearly fee for waste management, and so does not
have sufficient income to fund needed investments
No proper enforcement of solid waste management rules and laws.
Poor co-operation between the public and private sectors, and inadequate coordination
between stakeholders
6.2 Problems and issues at the source of generation
Lack of public awareness regarding environmental issues, such as solid waste management
Lack of place and equipment or negligence in segregation and composting of waste.
Lack of motivation and negligence about SWM
Educational lickings in school-level curricula about solid waste management
6.3 Problems and issues of the existing SWM practice
No proper communication strategy
No involvement of public for the contribution of SWM
Inadequate systems for the collection, transfer and final disposal of solid waste
Dumping of waste on river bank creating serious water and health problem
Okharpauwa landfill site being technically, environmentally and economically unsuitable
Absence of mechanisms to control leachate and landfill gas at the landfill site
Improper and unmanaged compost plant at Sisdol landfill site
Political influences

36
7 Conclusions and Recommendations
7.1 Conclusions
From the survey conducted, per capita the household solid waste generated in KMC was found to
be 232.1gm/day. Similarly the average waste generated from institute was found to be 288.83g m/
day and average commercial waste was found to be 5.29kg/day. The organic waste was dominant
in case of household waste and commercial waste but in case of institutional waste organic waste
and paper/paper products was found in higher percentage. The survey encompassed that the solid
waste mostly come from commercial waste as compared to household and institutional waste. The
amount of organic waste accounted higher proportion as compared to other waste composition in
the municipality. However, the management in KMC appears to be inadequate and needs up
gradation. The organic waste which constitute as the major portion of HH waste and commercial
waste can be managed by composting in HH level and in community level. The solid waste has to
be disposed off scientifically through sanitary land filling and recyclable portion of the waste
should be salvaged. Segregation of recyclable material would also lead to reduction in quantity of
solid waste for final disposal. Higher priority needs to be assigned to the management of municipal
solid waste by the local authority and a system approach needs to be adopted for optimizing the
entire operation of SWM encompassing segregation at source, timely and proper collection,
transportation routes and types of vehicles and development and proper operation of sanitary
landfill site. The proper awareness program and effective training on solid waste management is
still lacking in the municipality which arouse significant fraction of waste generation. Thus, KMC
might need to look for better solution of waste disposal considering unavailability of landfill and
disposal site. Overall, the study concludes that solid waste management practices in KMC were
inefficient and unsustainable, since the current system cannot cope with the increasing volume of
solid waste generated daily
7.2 Recommendations
There is the need for efficient collaboration between the municipal authority and the
private sector
The municipal should be responsible for working with various community groups, youth
groups and school children to raise awareness and provide training, necessary support for
effective solid waste management
The central government should establish the institutional and legal framework for
Municipal Solid Waste Management (MSWM) and ensure that local governments have the
necessary authority, powers and capacities for effective solid waste management
The municipal authority need to formulate strategies and implement technological
innovations necessary for effecting improved separation at source, resource recovery,
recycling and disposal of solid waste in KMC
Composting of organic waste should be promoted in HH level.
More emphasis need to be laid on segregation and collection of waste at source

37
The residents should be sensitized towards the importance of segregation of wastes at
source
Proper long term sanitary landfill site with compost plant should be set up considering the
social, economic, legal and technical aspects and promoting the local life standard

38
References
Anderzén, C &Blees, V. 2003. Solid Waste Management in the city of Kathmandu, Nepal –
Evaluation of the Växjö Risk Assessment Model applied on Gokarna Landfill Site.
KalmarUniversity, Programme of Environmental Engineering.
CBS. 2011.District Development Profile of Nepal 2012.
Devkota D. C., K. Watanabe, V. Dangol. 2004. Need for Alternative Approaches in Solid Waste
Management - CaseStudyKathmanduValley. 30th WEDC International Conference: People
Centred Approaches to Water and Environmental Sanitation. Vientiane, Lao PDR.
Khanal, P., Sapkota, L. &Thapa, B. 2009. Waste management and leachate treatment at landfill
sites of Nepal.
KMC, 2003, Not Published Information, Kathmandu Metropolitan City
Nippon Koei &Yachiyo Engineering (2005):The study on the Solid Waste Management for The
Kathmandu Valley, CKV study report, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) assistance
to Nepal.
Pokhrel D. &Viraraghavan T. 2005. Municipal solid waste management in Nepal: practices and
challenges. Waste Management, 25, 555–562
Solid Waste Management Act, 2011
SWMRMC. 2004: A Diagnostic Report on State of Solid Waste Management in
Municipalities of Nepal, Solid Waste Management and Resource Mobilization Centre,
Lalitpur.
SWMRMC/UN-HABITAT (2008) 10 Steps for a Clean City Technical Guidelines for Solid Waste
Management in Nepal (Draft), Solid Waste Management and Resource Mobilisation Centre,
Lalitpur, Nepal
WB (World Bank). 2001. Philippines Environment Monitor 2001: Solid Waste. The World Bank
Group, Pasig City, Philippines.

39
Annexes
Annex A: Recommendation letter from municipality

42
Annex B: Maps and Photographs
Map 2: Land use system of KMC
Map 3: Kathmandu Metropolitan City with sampling wards
Surveyed wards

43
Questionnaire at household Weight measurement
Waste segregations Waste segregation
Height measurement Institutional waste segregations

44
Commercial waste segregations Metal waste at restaurant
Organic waste at restaurant Glass waste from restaurant
Dealing with ward officer Dealing with ward officer

45
Discussing with municipality officer Discussing with Er. Rabin Man Shrestha
Collection of waste Segregated household wastes
Community participation in street sweeping Collection of waste in municipal van

46
Segregating Institutional wastes weighing the waste
Disposal of waste in Bagmatiriver Questionnaire at household
Waste segregation Waste segregation

47
Waste collecting at household Waste segregation
Segregated household waste Waste segregation
Photos of Sisdol landfill site

48
Annex C: Surveyed institution and commercial establishment

49
Table 14: Surveyed institutions in selected wards
S.N Name Type of institutions Ward
Number
1 Kist college of management College 1
2 A One Musician Studio Non-government 1
3 Bhanu Bhakta Memorial H.S school School 2
4 Scott wilson Nepal Pvt. Ltd Non-government 2
5 M.R Higher Secondary school School 4
6 Institute for conflict management and
peace Development
Non-government 4
7 Brilliant Multiple college College 7
8 Karma international training institute Non-government 7
9 KMC Ward office Government 8
10 Care English boarding school School 8
12 Moral academy School 10
13 Shubha Deep Public school School 11
14 Department of Plant Resources Government 11
15 Kathmandu Engineering college College 13
16 Mahanagaria Prahari Brita Government 13
17 Gita Mata H.S school School 15
19 Peoples Campus College 16
20 KMC ward Government 16
21 Maya LokVidhyashram Primary school 17
22 ICFC Finance Limited Non-government 17
23 Paropakar Adarsha H.S school college 20
24 Paropakar Central Office Government 20
25 Araniko Boarding Secondary School School 21
26 Upatyaka Bahu Udhyasya Sahakari Ltd. Non-government 21
27 Tarini Health Center Government 25
28 Tarini Primary school Government school 25
29 Amrit Science college Government college 29
30 Yeti Airlines Non-government 29
32 Shree Mahankal Madhyamik Vidyalaya Government school 30
33 Shankar Dev college Government college 31
34 Surya Dainiki Non-government 31
35 Padma Kanya H.S school Government college 33
36 Good will finance Limited Non-government 33
37 NSW College 34
38 Sagarmatha language Institute Non-government 34
39 Diana public school School 35
40 Kedek institute Non-government 35
Table 15: Surveyed commercial establishments in selected wards
S.N Name Type of business Ward Number

50
1 Kumari coffee shop Shop 1
2 Sangam sweets Restaurant 1
3 Ganga cold store Shop 2
4 Sagarmatha restaurant Restaurant 2
5 Ganga cold store Shop 4
6 Baluwatar cafe Restaurant 4
7 Suvakamana bakery cafe Restaurant 7
8 Mithu cold store Shop 7
9 Newari khazakhar Restaurant 8
10 Gita Store Shop 8
11 Alina bakery café Restaurant 10
12 Om general store Shop 10
13 Padam Cold store Shop 11
14 Hyangla Food Café and Restaurant Restaurant 11
15 Kalimati fruit shop Shop 13
16 Sekuwa corner Restaurant 13
17 Rainmark supermarket Shop 15
18 Dalluchatamari Newari khajaGhar Restaurant 15
19 Manish Craft Shop 16
20 Ace Café n Restaurant Restaurant 16
21 Fast food restaurant Restaurant 17
22 Samjhana cold store Shop 17
23 Khatiwoda cold store Shop 20
24 Khusbu bakery and coffee shop shop 20
25 LG Bakery Shop 21
26 Kavreli Bhojanalaya Hotel 21
27 Tip Top's Chat Corner Restaurant 25
28 Puja Impex Cosmetic shop 25
29 Krishna Trading Shop 29
30 International Cuisine Restaurant 29
31 Hidden Treasure Wholesale shop 30
32 Rajdhani sweets Hotel 30
33 Siddhi Ganesh Shop 31
34 London eye fast food restaurant Restaurant 31
35 Santosh Store Shop 33
36 Dilli bazaar momocentre Restaurant 33
37 Smiriti vojanalaya Restaurant 34
38 Bangalamukhi cold store Shop 34
39 Jeshika khajakhar Restaurant 35
40 Kantipur juice centre Shop 35

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