Waste thrown into drains, canals and ponds is causing waterlogging in Jhalokathi municipality, and an open temporary dumping station on the bank of the Sugandha river is polluting water, soil and air and breeding mosquitoes, a meeting of the Active Citizens Group (ACG), an affiliate of Transparency International Bangladesh's (TIB) local Committee of Concerned Citizens (CCC), was told.
A presentation by TIB area coordinator Mizanur Rahman also pointed to slow removal of household waste, the risk of infectious disease from medical waste, a shortage of cleaners, and cleaners not using personal protective equipment or gloves.
Municipal administrator Julia Sukayna said land is being acquired for a permanent waste management station, and that instead of placing bins around the town the municipality plans to collect waste directly from households, which she said would cut dumping on roads and in drains, canals and rivers.
The ACG recommended daily collection at fixed times, regular drain cleaning, a hotline and complaint boxes, more staff and capacity, quick construction of a dumping station and a secondary transfer station, ward-level citizens' committees and regular monitoring.
The meeting was chaired by Ismail Hossain, joint convener of the CCC's environment sub-committee, with CCC president Satyaban Sengupta as special guest. ACG volunteers are collecting information on the municipality's waste management and identifying problems, the meeting was told.
Source: Daily Bangladesh
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