Thromde: Waste management is a costly and labourous task in Thimphu at least going by the thromde’s expenses.

Thimphu thromde spends a total of about Nu 2.135M (million) on collection and disposal of waste from the city, every month.

The thromde pays Greener Way and Clean City Nu 1M and Nu 0.43M respectively every month, while the thromde spends Nu 0.7M on its workers for cleaning and disposing waste from the city.

Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay, during a meeting with the community tshogpas (representatives) under Thimphu thromde and the thromde executives, yesterday, said that it will be difficult for the authorities concerned alone to keep the city clean every day.

Lyonchoen said that it would be easier and possible to keep the city clean every day if the community representatives take the responsibility of keeping their communities clean.

“The capital city is important because it sets an example for other dzongkhags in the country,” Lyonchoen said. “If the capital city is clean then the chiwogs, gewogs and thromdes in other dzongkhags will naturally follow and keep their communities and cities clean.”

The city was divided into 67 areas during the nationwide cleaning campaign on December 9 and some 87 people from the communities volunteered as community representatives.

A total of Nu 80,000 in fines were collected from 131 individuals for illegal dumping of waste into the environment and littering public places, among others, since the nationwide cleaning campaign till date.

Lyonchoen said that besides cleaning the respective communities, the volunteers could also fully take advantage of the opportunity through plantation of flowers and plants to beautify their surroundings.

A competition among the communities will be held soon.

Thimphu Thrompon, Kinlay Dorjee, said that when the government and other agencies do so much and support to keep the city clean, the communities and the authorities concerned should be inspired to work hard and provide efficient municipal services to the public and keep the city clean.

“Any problem, like the waste management issues in our community has to be solved by ourselves and if the community representatives think the same and work together then soon the public will also follow,” the thrompon said.

Thromde’s executive secretary, Passang Dorji, said that despite the thromde’s huge expenditure on collection and disposal of wastes, awareness on managing one’s own garbage in the media, and cleaning campaigns, among others, there are people who litter public places on a daily basis.

“We clean the area today and there is the same amount of garbage at the same area the next day,” Passang Dorji said.

Of a total of 48.22 metric tonnes of waste collected from the city daily, some 37.02 metric tonnes are dry waste.

Passang Dorji said that the thromde has allotted about 100 workers to various tshogpas so that the they can monitor in order to have effective results.

Lyonchoen said that the neighbours could also get together for rituals, and other social activities such as exercise, and picnics, among others.

Hereafter, Lyonchoen will meet with the Thimphu thromde community representatives and thromde executives every month to discuss the various initiatives and issues, among others, to keep the city clean and beautiful.

Each cabinet minister will also be assigned a number of communities to monitor.

Dechen Tshomo