For years, waste from Jomotsangkha Dungkhag town in Samdrup Jongkhar ended up in open pits, creating an eyesore and environmental concerns. Now, more than a month into the operation of the town’s first landfill at Jangsa, residents are seeing a cleaner and more organised way of managing their waste.
With the landfill now in operation, waste that once ended up near the town is being collected and taken to a designated site.
“With the landfill and garbage truck, managing waste has become much easier for us. Earlier, waste was dumped near the town, and the bad smell was a problem. Now, the waste is taken farther away to the landfill, and the town looks much cleaner,” said Rinchen Thinley, a Jomotsangkha resident.
Residents are also changing the way they handle their waste—separating recyclables, keeping waste in designated places and handing it over for collection.
The difference is visible. Less waste around the town means cleaner surroundings, reduced foul smell and a more pleasant environment for residents.
“We separate our waste here. We sell bottles and other recyclable materials, while plastic and kitchen waste are disposed of at the landfill. Before we had the landfill, we faced many problems and had to dump waste near the town. Now, with the landfill, waste disposal has become much more convenient; the garbage truck comes every two weeks to collect waste,” said Chandra Bahadur Thapa, a resident of Jomotsangkha.
“Earlier, we used to burn our waste, but now it has become much more convenient. We collect the waste for the garbage truck to collect and take it to the landfill,” added Melom Zangmo, another resident.
The Nu 5.8 M landfill was funded by Bhutan for Life and jointly implemented by the Jomotsangkha Wildlife Sanctuary and the District Administration.
Druk Green Power Corporation also supported the project with a waste compactor.
The landfill, designed to serve for more than 20 years, is expected to provide Jomotsangkha with a more sustainable way of managing its waste, for now.
Kinley Wangchuk, Samdrup Jongkhar
Edited by Tandin Phuntsho
