Residents of Khaling and Wamrong in Trashigang can finally breathe a sigh of relief as the long-standing issue of unsegregated and sprawling landfill has been resolved. The Wamrong Dungkhag in Trashigang inaugurated its first-ever sanitary landfill recently. A sanitary landfill is a specially designed pit with a protected bottom where waste is buried in layers and compressed to make it more solid. This approach ensures that waste is managed safely by reducing the harm from accumulated waste and facilitating safe decomposition.
The newly constructed sanitary landfill has replaced the previous landfill at Mukhazor, which is located around 12 kilometres from Wamrong town towards Samdrup Jongkhar. The new landfill adheres to the new design of the National Environment Commission.
The sanitary landfill is equipped with high-density polyethene (HDPE) flooring, a pipeline and a tank to minimise the environmental effects of leachate seepage. A leachate is a liquid produced from the waste decomposition that is considered toxic to the environment.
“We followed the new design guidelines, installing a pipeline to collect leachate and connecting it to a tank. This ensures minimal adverse impact on the environment and prevents harm to nearby wildlife. It is an effective measure to mitigate the impact of the landfill,” said Tashi Tenzin, Wamrong Dungpa.
However, without a roof, the residents raised concerns about the septic tank getting filled up with rainwater during the monsoon.
“During the rainy season, there is a potential of rainwater seeping into the septic tank and getting mixed with the leachate as we do not have a roof. So, in the coming days, we are going to discuss with the relevant authorities to resolve this problem,” added the Wamrong Dungpa.
The Dunkhag’s waste truck collects waste twice a week from Khaling and Wamrong towns as well as along the highway. Around 12,000 tonnes of waste are collected monthly from around 500 households in Wamrong and Khaling.
The construction of the sanitary landfill started in March this year was completed last month. The landfill is expected to last for 15 years.
Supported by Bhutan for Life and the government, the sanitary landfill construction was completed at a cost of Nu 2.6 M.
Sonam Darjay, Trashigang
Edited by Sonam Pem
