BEST PRACTICES ON SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT OF NEPALESE CITIES
The Community Development Section is not empowered
to solve management problems. For every major
decision, the department should seek the approval of
the municipal Board11. Similarly, the lack of a local
elected body is another problem affecting the operation
of the municipality12. Riverside dumping is not a healthy
or sustainable method of disposal, and therefore the
municipality, SWMRMC and the Ministry of Local
Development should take the necessary action to locate
a landfill site for this municipality.
with the potential for tourism are suitable places for
initiating improvements in waste management. The
municipality has also developed basic facilities for
resource utilisation, including the collection, transport
& composting of organic waste. Assistance from UDLE-
GTZ and UNDP-PPPUE in urban service management
has played an important role in improving waste
management practice. These developments by the
municipality are helping to achieve its vision of a clean,
traditional city.
Conclusions
Involving local groups in street sweeping and the
collection of solid waste is the main lesson from this
case. The efforts of the municipality to generate revenue
from user fees, its concern to make the citizens
accustomed to paying for the waste collection service
and its approach towards SWM planning are all
noteworthy. Small towns of historical significance and
Replicable best practice
and lessons learnt
Both the municipality staff and the group contractors
are local residents. The resulting knowledge of the areas
in which they work and their accountability to the local
communities are contributing to the effectiveness of the
approach. This approach can be replicated in other,
similar urban centres of Nepal.
Overview of the solid waste management system
Street sweeping
& waste collection
Door-to-door collection Collection from storage points
Transport
Transporting waste by tipper
trucks, tractors with trailers
and small pickups
Final disposal
Dumping of waste on
Hanumante riverbank
Recycling of material
separated by waste
pickers
Contact details: Mr. Indra Prasad Karki, Mr. Moti Bhakta Shrestha, Mr. Dilip Kumar Suwal, Bhaktapur Municipality, Bhaktapur
Partner contact: The Secretary, Bhaktapur municipality
Phone: 01-610076, 01-6610310, 01-6611522
Email: bhaktapur@wlink.com.np
11 The Municipal Board is the main governing body of the municipality. The government
secretary and representatives of political parties are included in the governing board.
12 Because of the political turmoil, since 1998 there were no local elected bodies in
Nepal, and government officials were directing the local bodies.
7