Rayamajhi also asked officials at the environment department of the KMC to put in their papers if they fail to clear garbage from the streets by Saturday. [break]
"Delay in disposing of garbage would not be tolerated," a KMC official present at a meeting quoted Rayamajhi as saying. "Either you immediately sort out the problem or put in your papers. You can not keep on toying with public health."
Later, speaking to Republica, minister Rayamajhi said, "I will take strict action against officials who do not fulfill their duty." Rayamajhi´s instruction comes at a time when KMC has cited shortage of vehicles for its inability to collect and dispose of garbage for the last two weeks.
However, despite instructions from the minister, garbage collection and disposal is unlikely to resume immediately. "We can dispose of the garbage only if the government provides us some vehicles," Rabin Man Shrestha, chief of environment department of the KMC, said.
In a letter sent to the Ministry of Local Development (MoLD) on Tuesday, the KMC has sought 10 tippers, one excavator and a dozer to complete the task. "We have asked for vehicles and equipment as we can not repair our defunct vehicles and equipment immediately," Shrestha said.
The KMC has 31 tippers, four loaders and two excavators to collect and dispose of garbage. Of these, 15 tippers, three loaders, two dozers, three loaders and one excavator are not functional.
Shortage of vehicles and equipment, coupled with bad roads to the dumping site, has added to the problem in collecting and disposing of the garbage.
With the monsoon rains showing no signs of abating, heaps of stinking garbage on the streets has posed a serious threat to public health.
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