Dhaka’s waste management system in shambles

The waste management systems of both the capital’s city corporations have broken down in the wake of the prevailing quota reform movement. Waste is not being collected from residents in many areas. Moreover, waste is also not being transported from city corporation's Secondary Transfer Stations (STS) to the central garbage dump. As a result, garbage is overflowing from STSs and into the streets.

City Corporations claimed that several dump trucks and officials’ cars were vandalized. Therefore, waste collection was halted to protect the city corporations’ assets.

It was found that waste collection was stopped at the capital’s Malibagh, Shantinagar, Kamalapur, Banglamotor, Doyaganj, Jatrabari, Dholaikhal, Tatibazar, Azimpur, Farmgate, Rampura, Badda, Shewrapara, and Mohammadpur area’s STS. The streets were strewn with pungent waste.

Jasim, the owner of a stationary shop at Malibagh, said he opened up shop, but it is impossible to ignore the waste’s stench.

A waste worker named Rokon was working in front of the Shantinagar STS. He said waste had not been transferred from this STS for the last five days.

However, Moghbazar resident Indrajit Sarkar said city corporation workers started collecting waste from his house on Sunday (21 July).

Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) PR official Abu Naser told the Daily Samakal that miscreants vandalized two dump trucks at Jatrabari on Saturday. They also burned three cars of the officials at Uttara and other areas. Due to that, waste transfer from STSs is temporarily halted.

Meanwhile, Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Chief Executive Officer Mir Khairul Alam told the Daily Samakal that the Uttara Area 1,6 and Mirpur-10 Area-4 offices were burnt during the protests. Moreover, Mohakhali Area-3 and Mohammadpur Area-5 offices were vandalized. 29 dump trucks were burnt and 63 cars were vandalized. Due to these incidents, the waste management system faced difficulties. But their activities started again on Sunday (21 July) morning.