The first phase of a three-year agreement between the Department of Environment and BRAC to cut waste pollution on the coral island of St Martin's ends on 30 November, just before the tourist season. Funded by the Bangladesh Climate Change Trust Fund, the project has collected about 150 tonnes of waste in the past 11 months. Locals fear that if it stops, waste will pile up again and threaten the coral and marine life, Samakal reports.
Waste is collected from Purbapara, Bazarpara, Konarpara, Golachipa, Chhera Dwip and other parts of the island and sorted into biodegradable and non-biodegradable at a secondary transfer station. Thirty-six large community bins, nine trained workers and three vans do the work. Cleaner Md Faisal said they collect 300 to 400 kilograms a day, and that plastic bottles and polythene are flooding the island.
There are also efforts to turn waste into resources. Organic waste is being composted, with plans to use it in local farming. A thousand kilograms of PET bottles have been handed to the Department of Public Health Engineering's waste centre; a World Bank-funded gasifier is meant to turn plastic into fuel and electricity, but that has not yet happened, said upazila public health engineer Md Faruk Hossain.
Awareness work has included door-to-door campaigns, courtyard meetings, folk theatre and street art, and 380 students from four schools and madrasas have attended environmental workshops. Community volunteer Salma Akter said that in 34 years on the island she has rarely seen such a sustained effort with local people. Teknaf upazila executive officer SM Anik Chowdhury said waste management has improved and continuity before the tourist season is essential.
Faizul Islam, acting chairman of the St Martin's union council, said waste management on such an island cannot be seasonal. Kamrul Hasan, deputy director of the Department of Environment in Chattogram and project director, said no final decision on renewing the agreement has been taken because of a funding shortfall; talks are under way, and involving the union council is under consideration.
Reporting: Abdur Rahman, Teknaf, Samakal
Photo: Farhan Daud / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Source: Samakal
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