JOMSOM, Feb 15: A total of 4,391 kilograms of waste has been transported out of Mustang district over the past six months of the current fiscal year.
The waste, collected from Waragung Muktikshetra, Gharpajhong, and Thasang rural municipalities, was sent outside the district by the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP), Jomsom.
According to ACAP Jomsom Office Chief Gupta, the initiative aims to keep the religious and tourist Himalayan district of Mustang clean, hygienic, and environment-friendly. Since the previous fiscal year, ACAP has been transporting waste collected by local communities to Pokhara by truck.
Non-biodegradable plastic waste collected from the lower Mustang region has been sent for recycling to Green Waste Management Pvt Ltd in Pokhara, Gupta said. By the end of the month of Poush in the current fiscal year, the waste was transported to Pokhara in four separate truckloads.
Resolving Kathmandu Valley’s solid waste problems
ACAP Jomsom manages transportation costs using its own financial resources and sends the waste collected by tourism entrepreneurs and local communities to the processing center in Pokhara.
In the first phase this year, 544 kg of waste packed in 176 sacks was transported on Bhadra 11. In the second phase, 860 kg in 154 sacks was sent on Kartik 19. The third phase saw 1,536 kg packed in 242 sacks transported on Mangsir 7, while in the fourth phase, 1,351 kg in 172 sacks was sent on Poush 9.
Last year, ACAP Jomsom transported 10,190 kg of waste collected from tourism businesses and communities in the three rural municipalities to the Green Waste Management processing center in Pokhara.
Earlier, ACAP and Green Waste Management Pvt Ltd had signed an agreement to manage non-biodegradable plastic waste collected in Mustang. Gupta said that arranging transportation to designated locations has been challenging due to logistical constraints.
To strengthen waste management efforts, ACAP has allocated Rs 500,000 each to the three rural municipalities in the current fiscal year. Using this budget, Gharpajhong Rural Municipality has purchased a tempo vehicle, while Waragung Muktikshetra Rural Municipality has procured a waste compactor machine. Thasang Rural Municipalityis still in the discussion phase regarding expenditure under the waste management budget.
ACAP has also constructed waste collection center infrastructure in various locations across the district to ensure proper waste management by tourists and residents. These centers have been built in Thasang–4 Ghansa, Thasang–3 Lete and Dhamphu, Thasang–2 Kowang, Thasang–1 Tukche, Gharpajhong–3 Syang, Gharpajhong–1 Chhairo, Waragung Muktikshetra–4 Kagbeni, and Waragung Muktikshetra–4 Muktinath.
