Thimphu thromde has proposed a new tariff plan for waste collection and disposal to address rising waste concerns. The proposal suggests different charges based on the type of establishment, aiming to enhance waste management services within thromde.
This was presented during the public consultation meeting held with landowners and residents of Thimphu last week.
Under the new proposal, households / residential agencies will be charged Nu 100 per month, and commercial agencies will be charged based on the trade license. Large commercial agencies will have to pay Nu 4,000, Nu 1,000 for medium-sized agencies, and small and cottage agencies will have to pay Nu 200 and Nu 100, respectively.
Similarly, the residential school with boarding will have to pay Nu 2,000 per year. The residential office/ agencies with the offices and agencies with boarding /housing facilities will have to pay Nu 7,000. Non-residential schools, that is, day schools, will have to pay Nu 1,000, and non-residential offices, including ministries, constitutional offices, and autonomous agencies will have to pay Nu 5,000 as waste charges monthly.
Offices that are small and take up one unit will have to pay Nu 200, and offices that take up one building will have to pay Nu 2,500.
The key highlights of the proposal include increasing the waste collection frequency to an average of 4 days a week in the thromde (twice for dry and twice for wet wastes per week). To provide greater convenience to the public, an improved waste app will be developed, providing reliable live data on the waste collection schedules.
The proposal also focuses on the need for enhanced landfill operational and maintenance work to ensure proper waste disposal and minimize environmental impact. Further, the plan calls for outsourcing street sweeping and drain cleaning services, which will involve recruiting more personnel and acquiring better tools and vehicles.
The proposal also includes initiatives to increase the frequency and variety of awareness programs targeted at both the public and institutions and will be complemented by an opportunity to expand the workforce and enhance Human Resource capacity, enabling further improvements in waste management services within the thromde.
Furthermore, the proposal aims to improve and construct additional waste drop-off centers (DOCs), with ample scope for public consultations and surveys to ensure community involvement in the decision-making process.
Thimphu thromde has collected waste collection charges in the financial year (July –June) since 2018-2019. In the fiscal year 2018-2019, the thromde collected a total of about Nu 5.272mn, approximately Nu 6.173mn in the fiscal year 2019–2022, about Nu 6.353mn was collected during the year 2020–2021, and about Nu 6.65mn in the fiscal year 2021–2022.
This fiscal year 2022-2023, from July to June 2023, the thromde had collected a total of about Nu 14mn for the waste collection charges.
Thimphu thromde has put forward a new proposal to tackle the waste issue within the thromde due to an increase in waste generation. Earlier, residential tenants had never paid charges; instead, the house owner had to pay the taxes, and with the new proposal, the charges per household must pay the charges depending on the category set by thromde.
There are three waste collection service providers for Thimphu thromde, working in different zones: Clean City in the North, Greener Way in the core zone, and Green Bhutan Services in the South.
Nidup Lhamo from Thimphu
