Sisdole, the only landfill for Kathmandu, has exceeded its capacity, and monsoon rains worsen road conditions, leaving residents to contend with knee-deep sludge and overwhelming stench. This situation has affected local health and the environment. “Our water sources are contaminated, and our farms are barren,” says Bimala Balami, a local resident, adding, “We breathe in the garbage stench all day.”

After a 70-year-old woman’s death raised fears of a cholera outbreak, residents protested, halting garbage trucks. Although the outbreak was ruled out, the authorities struck a 14-point agreement with protesters, allowing waste removal to continue. Even so, it will take a week to clear the 15,000 Tonnes of accumulated waste across the valley. 

Initially intended as a temporary solution in 2006, the Sisdole landfill was to operate for three years. However, 17 years later, 75% of Kathmandu Valley's 1,200 tonnes of daily waste still ends up here. Plans for an alternative landfill at Banchare Dada remain incomplete due to delays since a 2019 contract, leaving Sisdole overburdened. 

Kathmandu’s garbage crisis has persisted for decades due to rapid urbanization and poor waste management. Despite studies showing that segregating waste could reduce landfill volumes by half, political will and bureaucratic inefficiencies hinder solutions. Environmentalist Bhushan Tuladhar highlights that Kathmandu’s waste management struggles have been the same for fifty years, with technical solutions hampered by institutional and financial obstacles.

2021