It is good to note that Dhaka WASA has embarked on a new project to construct five sewage treatment plants in order to keep the capital city clean by implementing cent percent sewage treatment.
Reportedly, Dhaka generates approximately 175 crore liters of wastewater every day. Of this, Dhaka WASA has the capacity to treat only 35 crore liters of sewage water daily. The remaining 140 crore liters of sewage water ends up in rivers, canals and water reservoirs severely polluting the environment.
Such a poor sewage management system is putting public health in jeopardy while causing air pollution, water pollution and environmental degradation. However, it is apprehended that if the project is implemented, 100 percent sewage water in the capital will be treated properly.
In order to deal with the increasing sewage generation rate,
a strategic, holistic and sustainable sewage management
practice should be reinforced in no time.
With increasing rate of population the sewage generation rate of the capital is also increasing at a startling rate. But Dhaka’s sewage management system has seen no remarkable improvement over the past years. In order to deal with the increasing sewage generation rate, a strategic, holistic and sustainable sewage management practice should be reinforced in no time.
Experts are of the opinion that lack of awareness among people, lack of financial resources, rapid growth of industries, inadequate trained manpower, lack of technical support are the major constraints of waste management of the metropolis. What is more worrying is that Sewerage authorities dump millions of tonnes of trash and garbage without treatment into various rivers.
It is high time to reform the entire waste disposal, waste treatment and waste management system of Dhaka. In this regard, the government has to develop a legal and strategic framework based on a new and reinvigorated perception of the present environmental situation of Dhaka.
We must find alternatives to open dumping with environment-friendly options and waste-water recycling should be considered as a treatment option prior to disposal. In this regard, we have to develop new and efficient scientific ways for recycling of waste-water.
