Dhaka's solid waste management problem
Syed Ishtiaque Reza | Wednesday, 4 June 2008
IT'S time to celebrate the centuries of Dhaka. But Dhaka has been turned into a city of garbage and recognised as not so clean a city. It's attributable to the low solid waste management capacity of the Dhaka city corporation.
Established by the Mughals, Dhaka with a glorious history has grown rapidly in recent times. It once attracted people from as far as Europe, West Asia, China and the Far East. The city also attracted the British, who settled here well before the beginning of their nearly two centuries of rule in the sub-continent.
Dhaka has grown phenomenally in recent years and so has it's with growing population. After a long break, the center point Dhaka was made capital of the then East Pakistan after 1947 and the capital of sovereign Bangladesh in 1971. Earlier also Dhaka was a capital city.
The city grew in size rapidly during the last two decades. The city grew from 360 square kilometers to 1526 square kilometres, encompassing Tongi and parts of Gazipur, Savar, Keraniganj and Narayanganj.
With its 15 million populations, Dhaka is a thriving centre of economic and business activities as well. People from across the country throng the city in search of opportunities. An unabated rush of people from the countryside is putting extra pressure on the city.
Dhaka has the highest density of population in the world. One-third of Bangladesh's 36 per cent urban population live in the city of Dhaka.
A crying problem of the city, its slum population, lack civic amenities.
Due to overpopulation, commercial and industrial activities, the city's garbage problem is already acute.
The Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) is failing the city's garbage.
The DCC collects 5000 tons of municipal wastes deposited in garbage containers every day. Due to its poor solid waste management even the residents of posh areas like Gulshan, Baridhara and Dhanmandi suffer badly. Open drains remain clogged up and garbage on the roads are a common sight. The solid waste is haphazardly collected.
It is said that DCC's conservancy department has been doing the job without following a coordinated and scientific plan. It does not use modern technology. It does not employ solid waste management specialist and maintains no database on the waste, its transportation or the use of labour. It follows no cleanliness standards. Dustbins, beside the roads and houses, create serious problems, to the residents as they are not cleaned regularly. DCCs litter vehicles collect garbage during day time. DCC functionaries say that due to financial constraints the city corporation cannot provide better conservatory services to the city dwellers.
The city corporation failed to utilise opportunities for capacity building. The conservancy personnel lack the training to scientifically manage the solid waste. Due to lack of initiative community-based local initiatives, NGO- small enterprise did not grew.
Small-scale compost plants, located within the community, could be a viable option.
Many other cities in developing countries benefited from privatisation of solid waste management, with worked bank assistance.
Awareness programmes can be launched to motivate people to keep the city clean by properly disposing off their litter.
Established by the Mughals, Dhaka with a glorious history has grown rapidly in recent times. It once attracted people from as far as Europe, West Asia, China and the Far East. The city also attracted the British, who settled here well before the beginning of their nearly two centuries of rule in the sub-continent.
Dhaka has grown phenomenally in recent years and so has it's with growing population. After a long break, the center point Dhaka was made capital of the then East Pakistan after 1947 and the capital of sovereign Bangladesh in 1971. Earlier also Dhaka was a capital city.
The city grew in size rapidly during the last two decades. The city grew from 360 square kilometers to 1526 square kilometres, encompassing Tongi and parts of Gazipur, Savar, Keraniganj and Narayanganj.
With its 15 million populations, Dhaka is a thriving centre of economic and business activities as well. People from across the country throng the city in search of opportunities. An unabated rush of people from the countryside is putting extra pressure on the city.
Dhaka has the highest density of population in the world. One-third of Bangladesh's 36 per cent urban population live in the city of Dhaka.
A crying problem of the city, its slum population, lack civic amenities.
Due to overpopulation, commercial and industrial activities, the city's garbage problem is already acute.
The Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) is failing the city's garbage.
The DCC collects 5000 tons of municipal wastes deposited in garbage containers every day. Due to its poor solid waste management even the residents of posh areas like Gulshan, Baridhara and Dhanmandi suffer badly. Open drains remain clogged up and garbage on the roads are a common sight. The solid waste is haphazardly collected.
It is said that DCC's conservancy department has been doing the job without following a coordinated and scientific plan. It does not use modern technology. It does not employ solid waste management specialist and maintains no database on the waste, its transportation or the use of labour. It follows no cleanliness standards. Dustbins, beside the roads and houses, create serious problems, to the residents as they are not cleaned regularly. DCCs litter vehicles collect garbage during day time. DCC functionaries say that due to financial constraints the city corporation cannot provide better conservatory services to the city dwellers.
The city corporation failed to utilise opportunities for capacity building. The conservancy personnel lack the training to scientifically manage the solid waste. Due to lack of initiative community-based local initiatives, NGO- small enterprise did not grew.
Small-scale compost plants, located within the community, could be a viable option.
Many other cities in developing countries benefited from privatisation of solid waste management, with worked bank assistance.
Awareness programmes can be launched to motivate people to keep the city clean by properly disposing off their litter.