TWO FOUND DEAD ALONG SAPTAKOSHI Kathmandu, 24 June: Two people have been found dead at different places while a youth is missing after drowning in the Saptakosi River in Sunsari district, RSS reports from Itahari. Twenty-five years old Suman Rai of Hasanpur-7, Bhojpur district who had come at his maternal uncle Chandra Rai´s house at Itahari Municipality-4 for a family visit had fell unconscious while watching movie on DVD. He died soon after. Meanwhile, a body of a man who appears to be in his 50s has been found at the verandah of a shelter for pilgrims at the Sriram Janaki Temple at local Pakali, police said. In another incident, 20-year-old Anil Rai has been missing in the Saptakosi River at Sisaulighat while trying to catch floating wood from the river. He is from Mahendranagar-6, Sunsari district. A search is on for finding the missing boy, according to police. nnnn BIG GARBAGE FEES FOR BIG RUBBISH PRODUCERS Kathmandu, 24 June: The Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) has finalised the garbage charge for each waste generating source as per the quantity of rubbish they produce. The new rule will be enforced from the new fiscal year 2012/13, The Kathmandu Post writes. KMC has proposed separate garbage collection fees for households, schools, industries, hospitals and hotels. The charge has been determined as per the quantity and hazardousness of waste produced by these sources. According to KMC chief Kedar Bahadur Adhikari, the fee ranges from Rs 250 to Rs 50,000 per month. Each household will have to pay Rs 250 per month, a shop will be charged between Rs 300 to 500 and schools and bigger business Rs 1,000 to Rs 5,000. Large and hazardous waste producer like hospitals and industries will have to pay up to Rs 50,000 monthly. “We have finalised the rates after holding talks with stakeholders,” said Adhikari. “The new rule will be implemented once our Board endorses it.” The metropolis has called its board meeting on July 11. The KMC waste collectors will weigh the waste before collecting them from the respective sources and will be segregated before transporting to the landfill sites. Of around 450 tonnes of waste generated from 35 wards of the KMC, the metropolis collects some 300 tonnes, while the private sector collects some 100 tonnes to dump at Okharpauwa and Sisdol landfill sites. There are 34 containers placed near the major waste producing sources, such as hospitals, industries and hotels. The KMC will increase the numbers of its big containers once its new plan gets translated into action. In Nepal, where an average 250 gram waste is generated per person, the Solid Waste Management Act 2011 authorises the municipalities to file a case at the District Court and District Administration Office that carries up to one year jail term and Rs 100,000 in fine to those found involved in disposing garbage illegally. A study shows that 332 kg of waste is generated by Bir Hospital alone everyday when there is 65 percent occupancy, while the waste volume reaches over 500 kg during the full occupancy. Of the total waste, 75 percent is highly infectious. Other hospitals in the Capital are yet to sterilise medical waste. nnnn