Dhaka's struggles with waste management

Despite numerous efforts, Dhaka remains choked by garbage, clinging to its infamous reputation as a city drowning in waste. Numerous Secondary Transfer Stations (STS) dot the city for garbage disposal. Sanitation workers collect waste and deposit it at these STSs, from where it is transported to the City Corporation's waste dumping grounds. However, most STS sites overflow, with garbage spilling onto surrounding roads.

The situation worsens in areas lacking STS access. In Dhaka North, 27 of its 54 wards have no STS infrastructure, while Dhaka South fares slightly better with STSs in 61 wards. Despite these efforts, both city areas generate over 6,500 metric tonnes of daily garbage, with a staggering 30 per cent left uncollected and littering the streets. Pedestrians exacerbate the problem by discarding plastic bottles, wrappers, and food waste, while households often dispose of waste haphazardly along roadsides.

Transforming Dhaka and shedding its "garbage city" label requires expedited waste management efforts. However, city dwellers must also actively cooperate with the authorities to keep the city clean. Making reckless littering punishable could serve as a deterrent.

Sohel Rana

Student, Jagannath University