Dhangadhi, May 27 -- Garbage is a growing problem for most Nepali cities, but in the Dhangadhi Sub-Metropolitan City in Kailali district, it is a growing source of income.

Through systematic waste collection and processing, the city earned Rs2.55 million in the last fiscal year of 2023-24. According to Ashok Awasthi, chief of the Environment, Drinking Water and Sanitation Unit, the sub-metropolis expects to generate Rs7.2 million in the current fiscal year, 2024-25.

Operating under the slogan 'Hamro Dhangadhi, Safa Dhangadhi' (Our Dhangadhi, Clean Dhangadhi), the sub-metropolis has banned littering and ramped up community engagement. "We've formed sanitation committees from neighborhoods to schools over the past 18 months," said Awasthi...