There is something rotten in Dhaka city, as the foul smell emanating from garbage containers placed in street corners hangs over the capital. Some of these garbage containers have been lying at their places for at least three years. These garbage containers are filled with wastes of all kinds. Household wastes as well as garbage from local restaurants and other commercial hubs are spilling over.
The capital produces an additional 600-700 tonnes of wastes in both North and South City Corporation areas during summer. The situation gets worse after the arrival of monsoon. Waterlogging and poor drainage system simply exacerbate the situation.
The waste containers are seen in different parts, including Mirpur-10, Shewrapara, Taltola, Green Road, Elephant Road (both old and new), Hatirpool bazaar, Karwanbazar, New Market bazar, Hazaribagh, Mugdapara, Khilgaon, Bashabo, Goran, Moghbazar, Rampura, Beri Bund, Islambagh, Kaptanbazar, Bangshal, Zindabazar, Sadarghat and at old quarters of Dhaka.
Khairul Bashar, a resident of Taltola, said several waste containers at the Taltola bus stand emit foul smells. “It is very difficult to use the road because of the foul smell. We hope that the authorities would shift the containers elsewhere,” he added.
Ayesha Begum, a resident of Mirpur-10, said the waste containers make it impossible for city dwellers to reside in the locality.
Jahirul Islam, a resident of old town, said most places in Islambagh, Zindabazar and Beri bund remain littered with wastes, with garbage piling up on the side of roads. “We urge the authorities to clear the garbage and make our city clean,” he added.
Capt. SM Javed Iqbal, chief waste management officer of the Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC), told The Independent that there should be secondary transfer stations at every ward of the corporation in phases for waste management.
“The DSCC has already undertaken plans to remove all the containers and set up two or three transfer stations at every ward. We have 57 wards in the DSCC. Of them, we would complete seven stations this year. Twenty other places have already been selected. The stations which would be completed this year are wards 1, 14, 22, 29, 48, 54,” he added.
He expressed hope that the waste management system would be implemented within three years.
“Acquisition of land is a great problem for setting up such secondary transfer stations. But we’re looking for lands. It would become easier for us once we sort out the land problem,” he said.
The secondary transfer stations for modern waste management would have enclosed rooms to contain wastes, he added.
About the delay in removing wastes, he said, “In summer, we carry an additional three to four tonnes of additional waste per day. At present, we are carrying a total of 1,800 tonnes of waste per day. Huge traffic snarls are a hindrance to removing the waste in time.”
-With The Independent input
