To get rid of water pollution one of the most crucial tasks is sewerage management of the Dhaka city. A city of 344 square kilometers with more than 15 million inhabitants the function is a daunting one as a proper sewerage management system is non-existent. In a research we found that everyday 9,000 tons of waste is created, 49 per cent of them are from households and the rest from commercial, industrial and medical establishments. Only about 5-6 per cent of the waste is recycled despite the presence of technology and manpower. Hasin Jahan, Programme Director of Water Aid, Bangladesh said, less than one-fourth of Dhaka city area is currently under the coverage of sewerage network.
In addition, Dhaka city has no sewerage network. More than half of the buildings do not have any septic tank and the sewer pipelines of these buildings are directly connected to either open drain or to the storm drainage system, which pollute the surface water and the environment.
Apart from that, a recent Asian Development Bank (ADB) research study revealed that the city dwellers will generate 8,000 tons of solid waste that needs a 292-hectre land for management, which is quite tough to allocate.
So, to solve this problem, the government should pay attention to improving the sewerage system and restart the urban planning. In that case, a master plan of Dhaka Water and Sewerage Authority (DWASA), as proposed, should include construction of sewerage network and treatment plants. Ensuring proper work distribution among DWASA, RAJUK and Dhaka City Corporation is the need of the hour.
Right now more than 5 million people are directly facing the danger of water pollution in Dhaka. If quick steps are not taken, the extent of pollution will increase beyond expectation.
Mahfuza Khanom, East West University
mahfuzaewu@gmail.com
Waste water of Dhaka city
FE Team | Published: September 19, 2015 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00
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