Trash Barriers Installed in Kathmandu Rivers to Collect Floating Waste

Kathmandu: The Bagmati Civilization Integrated Development Committee, an autonomous body under the Ministry of Urban Development, has installed trash barriers in Kathmandu’s rivers to collect floating waste materials. 

At present, the installation of a trash barrier has been completed at Guheshwari, and work is rapidly underway to install trash barriers at a total of six locations under a contract worth NPR 6.5 million.

The identified locations include five points along the Bagmati River—Gokarna Barrage, Guheshwari, Tilganga Eye Hospital, Bagmati–Manahara confluence, and UN Park—and one point on the Manahara River at the Karmanasha confluence.

Trash barriers are designed to stop and collect floating waste such as plastic, polythene, bottles, pieces of wood, and similar debris at a designated location on the river surface. Due to rapid urbanization and poor waste management, large volumes of floating waste have been observed in rivers such as the Bagmati, Bishnumati, Manahara, and Dhobikhola in the Kathmandu Valley. 

The installation of trash barriers helps remove such waste without obstructing the natural flow of the river, thereby contributing to the reduction of river pollution.

The waste collected through these trash barriers can be regularly removed, segregated, reused, and safely managed. This initiative is expected to contribute positively to reducing river pollution, enhancing river aesthetics, conserving aquatic life, and improving public health.

The trash barrier structures are designed in a way that allows them to stop floating waste without disrupting river flow. 

They are equipped with rubber conveyor belts and floating components that automatically adjust up and down with changes in the water level, ensuring efficient and continuous waste collection.