Dhaka City Corporation: Hot Links: Solid Waste Management

Dhaka City Corporation is the only formal organization responsible for waste management in an area of 360 Sq. KM with a population of 7 million, estimated to generate around 3000 to 4000 tons everyday. Out of which 40-50 percent is disposed in the landfills and the rest left unattended and locally dumped. It is broadly estimated that between 14 -17 percent of the total municipal budget is used for solid waste management which is approximately Tk. 26/- (0.5 US$ per capita per year. Around 7,500 cleaners are engaged in street sweeping and waste collection activities. The number of cleaners per thousand populations in Dhaka is nearly 1. Waste densities (350 to 450 kg/Cu.M) and moisture contents (50% to 70 % by wt.) are much higher than the wastes in developed countries, generally contains a high organic (60% to 70%) and low combustible matter.

Normally the households bring their refuse to the nearby communal bins/containers located on the street side, while in some specific areas community has arranged house to house collection of garbage with their own initiatives and efforts. The household, commercial, institutional & medical wastes are deposited in the same waste collection bins located on the streets. Street sweeping is done manually and debris are loaded from the kerb-side into the handcarts and delivered into the collection bins. Nearly 7500 Nos. of DCC sweepers/cleaners sweeps roads and cleans drains and then put those wastes into the nearby dustbins or containers using a HandCart. Dhaka City Corporation has 3 different types of dustbins. Such as: (i) Brick/Cement Made, (ii) GI Sheet Built & (iii) Auto-lifting Container. Presently some Community Based Organizations (CBOs) doing the house-to-house collection of Solid Wastes at a reasonable charge, which is, accepted by the city dwellers. These CBOs playing significant role in the primary collection of the Solid Wastes.

However, still most of the domestic, commercial & Industrial Solid Wastes are being accumulated into the dustbins/containers by the concerned households/owners themselves.

Transportation

The wastes are transported by fleet of open (flat bedded) or closed vehicles (with vertically sliding shutter on both sides) from the old part of the city where the roads and the lanes are narrow. In the new part, de-mountable container system (hydraulically operated) is working. Every vehicle has got specified areas and route through which they move to collect wastes. 370 Nos. of trucks (Both open & covered) and container carriers are engaged in transporting the Solid Wastes from the dustbins/containers to the disposal sites. For loading they uses cane basket & "Belcha"(Shovel).

Final Disposal

Garbage Trucks & Carries bring the collected Solid Wastes to the selected Dumping Sites. City Wastes are only being used for filling low-lying lands. Some heavy equipment like Bull-Dodger, Tire Dodger, Pay-Loader Excavators are being used for dressing & compaction of the dumping site. The waste is presently being disposed off mainly on a lowland (Matuail) about 3 kilometer from the corporation area and a number of minor sites which are operated as uncontrolled manner without any proper earth cover and compaction. The uncollected wastes are dumped in open spaces, streets, clogs drainage system creating serious environmental degradation & health risks.

Dhaka City Corporation yet to have any Solid Waste re-cycling project. However, waste which have market value are being reclaimed or salvaged for recycling. Recycling contributes to resource conservation as well as environmental protection.
Firstly, newspapers/papers, broken glasses, metals, plastic etc. are purchased from house-to-house by a class of mobile purchasers.
Secondly, a section of the poor peoples collects re-useable and re-cycable waste materials form the dustbins/containers and as well as from the streets and dumping sites. Recycling of paper, plastic, glass, metal etc. plays a very important role in the economic sphere and a large number of poor people are dependants on these petty commercial activities.
Thirdly, a few number of entrepreneurs are producing "Compost" kind of organic Manure) from the organic Solid Wastes.
The major component of municipal waste organic food waste is totally ignored even though it has a potential value and can be converted into organic compost.
A number of other recycling schemes (like waste to electricity, Waste to BioGas, Waste to Tiles/building materials etc) is under the consideration of the Corporation and also the Government. Hopefully in a near future some of those projects will be launched in the city.

Dhaka City Corporation extended their logistic support to a private organization named Sheltech Consultant Pvt. Ltd. To initiate pilot project entitled Solid Waste Management in Dhanmondi Residential Area at ward no. 49. located in Dhanmondi. Then seven more wards I.e. 22,36,39,40,45,54 & 56 had been covered under this program involving NGOs named 1) Association for Integrated Development, 2) Somonnita Shishu Saishtho Sangstha, 3) Rozobennesa Welfare Foundation, 4) Economic Development Association, 5) Welfare Association foe Rootless, 6) Association for Poverty Alleviation and Nature Conservation, and 7) Society for Project Implementation Research Evaluation and Training respectively under the umbrella of NGO named Bangladesh Integrated Environmental Development Forum. In the mean time 49 more wards have been undertaken under this program involving NGOs under Urban Planning Department. Now this project has been handed over to the Conservancy Drpartment.

Private Solid Waste Management in Dhaka City is a new approach. Recently Dhaka City Corporation fully privatizes its conservancy works in Uttara, Gullshan , Banani, Baridara, Mohakali and Tejgaon areas. These areas cover the northern part of the city , zone 9.10 the private parties are handling this works very smoothly. Tow NGOs and tow private contractors are responsible to run the project properly. The Urban Planning Department introduced this project for the first time. Then the project was handed over to the Conservancy Department of DCC. The Private parties do the street sweeping. Drain cleaning. Door-to-door waste collection, dustbin cleaning and waste transportation and final DISPOSAL OF THE WARDS No.1,17,18,19,20,21,37,and 38.