To address the tight landfill site disposal capacity and to implement appropriate waste disposal system, Thimphu Thromde and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) signed the Minutes of Meeting yesterday.

Thromde’s Environmental Division in collaboration with Japan Environmental Sanitation Centre (JESC) under the JICA partnership programme will implement the project. To implement the project efficiently, JICA will supervise its overall implementation and will bear only those expenses it considers necessary for the project.

According to the project outline, three key activities will be undertaken. The first activity would be to master the maintenance of existing facilities and equipment. This would be done by implementing inspection and maintenance work, which would require reviewing and conducting waste composition and quantity survey.

The second activity is for thromde officials to acquire skills to introduce new treatment facilities. A basic design for the construction of a new final disposal site would be explored along with a compost model plant. A plan on small incinerator for medical waste and resource recovery of plastics would also be prepared through training and field survey.

The third activity is to establish an environmental education system by the thromde for the public, schools and, private enterprises by conducting model classes, workshops and seminars.

Thimphu Thrompon, Kinlay Dorjee, said, that in the last five years the mind set of public regarding waste has changed to an extent. “At least 80 to 90 percent of people segregate organic and plastic wastes.” He also said that about 20 GPS (Global Positioning System) have been installed in garbage trucks so that thromde can verify in case of complaints.

The term of the project is three years from August this year to July 2020. This is the second phase of the project, which started in 2013. The first phase included mitigation of landfill site and waste awareness programmes.

Rinchen Zangmo