More than 3.9 million tonnes debris is expected to accumulate from the earthquake-damaged buildings inside Kathmandu Valley after their demolition, according to the Solid Waste Management Technical Support Centre. The quantity is equivalent to 11 years of waste generated by the Valley.
To manage the debris, the centre is planning to recycle them into bricks, building blocks and fill materials for roads and other structures.
Sumitra Amatya, the centre’s executive chief, said the demolition project is expected to complete within next six monthsAccording to Home Ministry, Kathmandu Valley will be needing bricks worth more than Rs 1 billion to rebuild the quake-destroyed houses.
Nearly 40 percent of that cost could be covered by using bricks and blocks prepared from the debris, Amatya said.
The debris collected from the quake-destroyed and demolished buildings are being collected in open spaces, including Tundikhel and the Maharajgunj-based Nepal Police Training Centre and Sallaghari in Bhaktapur.
Since the debris collected from the heritage sites could contain items of archaeological and historic importance, Gyanendra Karki of Department of Garbage Management at the Kathmandu Metropolitan City said, they were planning to run a thorough inspection. He added that security personnel have been deployed to guard the sites where the debris from ancient monuments and temples are being kept.
The debris may also have hazardous wastes such as gas cylinders, batteries and materials containing asbestos, pesticides and acids. Amatya said such wastes will be taken for specific treatment before they casting them away.
29.12°C Kathmandu
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