Solid waste management is an important aspect in terms of keeping our city free of pollution. Dhaka South and North City Corporation are mainly assigned with the capital’s household waste management.
However due to manpower shortage they were collecting waste only from the designated containers. A non-governmental organization named Primary Waste Collection Service Provider (PWCSP) has been collecting waste from houses of city dwellers and bringing them into containers. Now both city corporations have decided to outsource collection of solid waste from various establishments, including houses and business places to a third party through a tender.
Waste management
in our city has been
dismal for decades
We welcome this decision as waste management in our city has been dismal for decades. Bringing it under a professional third party organization will hopefully give city dwellers a sigh of relief from both air and sight pollution, which occur from the waste containers scattered around the city. Garbage business as we know is a business worth crores of taka. Therefore, through a licensed third party organization, it will also bring in revenue for the government, which they are deprived of for many years.
However, this decision will put the livelihood of almost 19,000 cleaners of PWCSP under threat. Therefore, before implementing such a decision both city corporations should take into consideration the livelihood of these marginalized people and even try to bring these workers under the permanent manpower force of both city corporations.
The open disposal and dumping system in our city is really unhygienic for the environment. Major portions of waste do carry the disposable content which can be recycled in a sustainable way. Therefore, all the relevant authorities should work together towards an effective solid waste management.