Garbage carrying in open trucks
Wednesday, 15 December 2010
It is unthinkable in most cities and countries of the world that garbage-and that too very odious-can be carried in uncovered conditions in trucks through the city's thoroughfares in day time which we see all the time in Dhaka. The spectacle is obviously a filthy one. The foul smell emanating from such garbage carrying trucks during office-hours can be very unpleasant experiences for the office-goers and all other commuters in the city who may have come out from their homes after freshening themselves. Accosted by such filthy sights and foul odours, their day gets considerably spoiled. And there is the question of hygiene too. Breathing of the bad odours that waft from these garbage-laden trucks, can infect people with diseases.
From the perspectives of the environment, health and sanitation, the doing away of such carrying of refuse for good, has been overdue. Governments have come and governments have gone. But none did seriously consider working for a proper system of garbage clearance.
In most cities of the world specially in capital cities, the practice is to start garbage clearance from after midnight until the small hours when traffic movement is found to be thinnest. Besides, the garbage in those countries is mandatorily carried by covered vans or the like. Not only that, the roads and thoroughfares are broomed and even washed with water sprays late in the night. Thus, when the commuters hit the roads in the early morning they find the roads and environment quite clean and spic and span.
Why can't we have a similar system for Dhaka? Where is the difficulty? The same staff of the Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) and vehicles who are responsible for garbage disposal, can be obliged to work in the night, instead of the day time. And it should be inexpensive as well as very easy to, at least, maintain tarpaulin covers on the trucks filled with garbage as they travel to dumping sites.
Ali Akbar
Wari, Dhaka.
From the perspectives of the environment, health and sanitation, the doing away of such carrying of refuse for good, has been overdue. Governments have come and governments have gone. But none did seriously consider working for a proper system of garbage clearance.
In most cities of the world specially in capital cities, the practice is to start garbage clearance from after midnight until the small hours when traffic movement is found to be thinnest. Besides, the garbage in those countries is mandatorily carried by covered vans or the like. Not only that, the roads and thoroughfares are broomed and even washed with water sprays late in the night. Thus, when the commuters hit the roads in the early morning they find the roads and environment quite clean and spic and span.
Why can't we have a similar system for Dhaka? Where is the difficulty? The same staff of the Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) and vehicles who are responsible for garbage disposal, can be obliged to work in the night, instead of the day time. And it should be inexpensive as well as very easy to, at least, maintain tarpaulin covers on the trucks filled with garbage as they travel to dumping sites.
Ali Akbar
Wari, Dhaka.