Syed Munawar Husain Bukhary (7219148)

English

Loughborough University Institutional Repository

F   SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT: SYED20120th WEDC Conference Colombo, Sri Lanka, 1994AFFORDABLE WATER SUPPLY AND SANITATIONSolid waste management in DhakaTHE PROBLEMS OF solid waste management and conse-quent impact on neighborhood environment is critical inDhaka city. The environment in part of the city bear signsof polluted environmental condition because of the accu-mulated uncontrolled garbages on the roads and drainsfilled with solid wastes and human feces in the low andmiddle- income areas of the city.Now the question is what constitute a solid waste? Amaterial which is thrown as worthless is a waste. Solidwaste include all those wastes except waste water dis-charges and atmospheric emissions. So, a solid waste mayeither be a semi-solid , solid or even a liquid, Moreover awaste has been looked after as an abandoned materialwhich has no consumer value to the person abandoningit. Further the urban solid waste or municipal refuse hasbeen defined by Cointreau as “material for which theurban area requires no compensation upon abandon-ment. In addition, it qualifies as being within the respon-sibilities of the municipality to collect and disposeit”.(Cointreau.1982)Characteristics of solid wastes inDhaka city (Cointreau.1982)In Dhaka like in other developing countries, the materialabandoned are usually regarded as a municipal responsi-bility. This include: household garbage and rubbish, com-mercial refuse cleaning and maintenance refuse deadanimals, catch-basin and drain cleaning wastes, bulkywastes and sanitation residues.House garbage and rubbishAlso known as residential refuse or domestic wastes. Thisincludes food preparation, sweeping, cleaning, fuel burn-ing and gardening wastes.Commercial refuseWastes of the category comes from stores, offices, fuelservice stations, restaurants, warehouse and hotels. Thewastes usually comprises packing and container materi-als, used office supplies and food wastes.Institutional refuseIn this category falls schools, offices, hospitals, policebarracks and religious buildings. This category usuallyproduces large portion of paper.Street sweepingWastes of this type always comprises dirt and litter,Household refuse, drain clearings, human fecal matterand animal manure may occur in appreciable portion ofthis group of wastes.Construction  and demolition debrisConstruction activities where clay soil is used as construc-tion material may produce considerable quantities ofwaste to the municipal refuse.Sanitation residuesIn Dhaka where sewerage is not the major means ofcontaining human excreta and sullage, sanitation residuesmay occur from privies and latrines, The night soil-generated in these sanitation systems awaits regular clean-ing may get service either from the municipality or theprivate sector.Industrial wastesProcessing and non-processing industries as well as utili-ties produce industrial wastes. This include packagingmaterial food wastes, spoiled metal, plastic and textiles,fuel burning residuals, and spent processing chemicals.Existing solid waste managementsystem in Dhaka and its inadequaciesDhaka Municipal Corporation is responsible for collec-tion and disposal of garbage in Dhaka city. In Dhaka,there is no house-to house collection of solid wastes.Wastes are generally collected from street corner, dump-ing grounds, concrete and street bins. Against specialpayments solid wastes are directly collected from houses.Different types of vehicles starting from wheel barrowsand bullock to 7 ton trucks are at the service of 3585municipal collectors. Bullock  carts serve the old town,which infact are expensive to operate, slow and difficultto manoeuver, (GOB,ADB and UNDP.1981)An average of 1000 to 1200  tons of garbage are accumu-lated every day during the winter season and the quantityof garbage varies between 1300 to 1400 tons per day in therainy season.At present about 70 percent of the collectedrefuse is dumped at an open dumping ground at Dhalpurwhereas the rest 31 percent is disposed off in a unregu-lated manner along the Buriganga river and other low-lying spaces in different parts of the city. A new site of 73Munawar Husain Bukhary Syed, Jahangnagar University, Dhaka, Bangladesh.F   SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT: SYED202acres at Matuail has been purchased by Dhaka MunicipalCorporation (DMC) and two dumping grounds nearMirpur and Rayer Bazar area ate in the process of pro-curement to replace the present dumping grounds. Asthere is no control at official dumping grounds, so it hascontributed in continuous pollution of the nearby canals,uncontrolled scavenging and the breeding of differentdisease vectors. Dumping of waste into storm waterdrains, culverts and inspection chambers has encoun-tered additional problems. The result is that storm waterflows are obstructed and it forms breeding grounds forflies and mosquitoes, (Siddiqui,Qadir, Alamgir andHuq.1990)InadequaciesThe inadequate solid waste management system hasbeen further overloaded by increased congestion of theold town area, rapid expansion of newer areas and rise inper capita waste generation which currently is 333 gramsper day (Islam,1992). To cater for the existing garbagedisposal need , the number of vehicles, sweepers andcollectors is highly inadequate. Only in alternate days onethird of the total garbage of the whole city area is col-lected. According to officers of the Dhaka MunicipalCorporation (DMC), a threefold increase in the number ofvehicles and workers engaged will be essential by 2000 tomaintain the existing level of garbage collection.(Huq.1987)Proposals to improve solid wastemanagement (Cointreau. 1982)To  overcome the problem a first hand appraisal of thedisposal and management of garbage in Dhaka city isessential to establish a proper service delivery system. Inthe previous section , the inadequacies of the solid wastemanagement system has been outlined. With the abovedrawbacks, it is essential that a proper service deliverysystem be evolved in Dhaka city. The various steps for asound service delivery system is discussed below asfollows:(1) storage at the source(2) discharge to a collection point(3) collection(4) transfer and haul and(5) disposal.Storage at the sourceHousehold or communal storage system determines theefficiency and effectiveness of collection. Solid wastestorage types are(a) separate unit storage(i.e. household)storage and (b) communal storage.The collection agency may fix either standardized ornonstandardized separate unit storage. Temporary con-tainer such as cardboard, plastic bags, and crates topermanent container such as plastic or metal bag consti-tute nonstandardized containers. Whereas plastic or metalbins, with the name and address of the owner depicted instandardized format and with lids are standardized con-tainers. The use of plastic bags is inappropriate becausethey are expensive and unsuitable in hot climate.The weight and density of wastes disposed and durationof storage including frequency of collection determinesthe size of the container. Hot climate necessitates frequentcollection. The increased collection frequency can containordours, insect breeding and vector attraction. The denslypopulated area requires frequent collection. Communalstorage may consist of stationary or portable units.Discharge to a collection pointCollection system may operate in four different ways. Ata number of key points communal storage containers canbe placed. The house occupier will have to carry the solidwaste from the house to the point where the communalstorage container has been placed .Secondly in case of street corner collection, a collectionvehicle stops at certain selected places and from wherethe solid waste is being carried to the vehiclesThirdly in case of roadside collection, the housholderkeeps the houshold storage container at a fixed timebeside the road and the waste collection workers willempty it.Lastly the workers will collect the waste container fromthe house(Cotton and Francys,1991).Collection (Cointreau, 1982)Basically there ate three collection methods such as hu-man powered  collection,animal powered and motorizedcollection.Pushcarts, pedal tricycles, wheelbarrows and two-wheeled dollis with baskets are examples of human pow-ered collection equipment. In narrow walkways havinglimited access such equipment is useful. Paved road orsmooth surface lane is essential for the movement of thistype of equipment. It is usual that carts are made of largewooden box. Whereas in case of World Bank projectpushcarts contain bins which may be unloaded into theportable container of a truck or tractor being placed at alocal transfer station.In case of animal powered collection equipment thereare several distinct advantage whether it is a horse muleor ox drawn cart then there is no fossil fuel consumption.In city like Dhaka where a large part of the city containslow-moving traffic such as bicycle, pushcarts etc thistype of collection is suitable.Flat bed trucks with a combined system of loadingequipment may be used in Dhaka, This type will includea medium-sized pay loader in concert with a number oftipping trucks. Motarized hand equipment with manualloading is also used. This lowers the vehicle’s productiv-ity. As vehicles ate more expensive compared to labour soF   SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT: SYED203vehicle productivity should be Optimized instead oflabour.Transfer and haul (Cointreau.1982)The collected waste may be hauled to the site of disposalby the collection equipment or for hauling it may be takento another type of equipment.From its source of generation to its disposal site theremay be more than one transfer taking place from wherethe waste is taken to a bigger transfer station and wherethe waste may be dumped into a roll-on container whichmay be drawn away by large trailer truck.Direct haul by motorized collection equipment wouldexist, if the deposal site is comparatively near the collec-tion service area,for example, it is within 15 kilometers ofdistance and under 45 minutes of round trip travel time.If more is required, transfer to a lager vehicle permits thecollection vehicle to maximize its time on the route andthe collection crew also maximizes its time providingcollection. Many function are being carried out by atransfer station. In fact, “Not only is a place where wasteis passed from one form of transport to another in orderto optimize productivity of the collection equipment andcrew, but is a place where the waste can be compactedprocessed, or sorted or recycled”,(Cointreau,1982)Disposal (Cointreau,1982)In Dhaka city open dumping is still the prevalent systemof waste disposal. Budget allocation for waste disposal isminimal in Dhaka city.(1) Both in developing and industrialized countries,landfill with special arrangement to make disposal sitesanitary and neat, and to reduce the possibility of gas andleachate generation and migration, is the most cost-effec-tive means available for disposal. Waste processing maybe undertaken only where there is a possibility of strongeconomic market demand or need for the by products ofresource recovery. As the waste are organic moist innature, composting, biogas conversion and methane re-covery from landfills is technically possible, However,careful market demand and acceptance, is required.(2) Appropriate technology to determine optimum levelof labour vs mechanization:Before management costs are significantly affected byexisting wage rates in an urban area the wage rate alsoacts as a key determinant in selection of cost effectivetechnology. It has found that solid waste collection anddisposal system does not have any human of scale, theresult is that costs are not based on the amount of refuseto be managed. The size of the urban area and the amountof waste to be collected and disposed does not signifi-cantly affect the selection of technology. Optimization ofthe level of mechanization and interest of labour are thekey factors of selection of technology. The number ofpersons in a given equipment unit crew should be mini-mized in cities where wage rates are relatively highcompared to equipment unit cost. The more labour inten-sive systems are usually prove cost effective where wagerates are very low.(Cointreau,1982)(3) Through taxation and other means the financial baseof the Dhaka Municipal Corporation should be improved:The financial condition of the Dhaka Municipality hasbeen aptly described by M.F.Huq in the following wards,“It is imperative that to keep pace with population growthand to offset the imbalance created by inflation, an in-creasing amount of funds available to the DMC even tomaintain, in real terms the existing level of essentialservices to the citizen “,(Huq,1987)The percentage increase of income of the corporationfrom the available sources will not be more than 10percent per annum in the future. To increase the incomeof the corporation the following proposal are putforward:(Huq,1987)(a) If the percentage of the collection of revenue is im-proved, income from its own sources of Dhaka MunicipalCorporation can be substantially increased. Collection ofmunicipal dues at 100 percent level can add TK*,450.00 to500 millon income to the corporation.(b) The corporation should adopt legal measures to real-ize its outstanding dues.(c) Holding tax along with conservency and street lightcharges are the major source of revenue of the corporationat present irrespective of the location, condition, ocupancyand rent structure of houses. The corporation shouldimpose progressive rate of taxation.(d) A tax or levy on the development value of urban landcan be introduced. It should be applied in relation to othercapital taxes,such as capital gains tax,so that no doubletaxation occurs.(4) Legal Means should be handy to aid waste manage-ment :Participation of the citizens in the refuse system ofcombined incentives and disincentives is essential. Legis-lation is a disincentive to poor cooperation from residentswith the refuse management system. Widespread litter-ing, refusal to use a standardized dustbin,lack of coopera-tion with the time schedule of collection,and illegal dump-ing can be deterred through laws, ordinances,regulation-coupled with inspection and enforcement.(5)  Civic sense to be improved through education, pub-licity and participation in the waste managementsystem:(Ahmed,1991)It is very essential that people should participate ingarbage disposal. People should learn the detrimentalconsequences of throwing garbage haphazardly on thestreets and drains. Extensive publicity through massmedia, posters and festoons has been successful to raisepeoples consciousness. In seasonal clean-up campaignsF   SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT: SYED204ReferencesCointreau,Sandra J, Environmental Management of Ur-ban Solid Wastes in Developing Countries. A ProjectGuide: Urban Development Technical Paper Number 5,Urban Development Department, The World Bank Wash-ington D.C.June 1982.Cotton, A and Franceys, E, Services for Shelter, LiverpoolPlanning Mannual 3, Series Editor: Gerald Dix, LiverpoolUniversity Press in association with Farirstead Press,1991.Government of Bangladesh, Asian Development Bankand United Nations Development programme (GOB,ADBand UNDP) Dhaka Metropolitan Area Integrated UrbanDevelopment Project, 1981.Huq, M,F, “Dhaka Towards The Year 2000: TheEmerging Problems of Metropolitan Management,”InBangladesh Journal of Public Administration, Vol.1,No.2,July,1987.Islam, M,N, “Solid Waste Management for Dhaka city” inThe Daily Star,July 4,5 & 6,1992.Rahman, Md. Abdur, “Garbage Disposal System inDhaka City”, Dhaka Past, Present and Future edited bySharifuddin Ahmed, Asiatic Society of Bangladesh, Dhaka,1991.Siddique, K, Qadir, S.R, Alamgir, S, Huq,S, Social Forma-tion in Dhaka City, The University Press Limited, Dhaka,1990.publicity campaigns are valuable. Residents are asked toclean their yard and storage spaces of litter and stuck upgarbage. School children are involved in the action pro-grammes of Calcutta Municipal Corporation to clean thecity. Modern transport system is replacing the”adoptedtechnology” of carts in Cairo. The dustbin marked withthe sign “use me” is loosing its appeal day by day. Forrousing public sentiment towards the proper disposal ofrefuse materials extensive publicity is required.(6)  Recycling and Resource Recovery should be under-taken to minimize management cost:   The miserable situation of the garbage managementsystem of the third world counturies is shown by moun-tains of garbage in the outskirts of Lagos, Lima,Manila,Calcutta and Karachi. In Dhaka as elsewhere inBangladesh,it is possible to convert the city garbage intofertilizer, methane and bio-gas. By recycling usable mate-rials collected from the garbage a number of cheaperproducts can also be produced in large scale. New jobopportunities can be created based on industries of gar-bage products. Nonusable plastic materials may bepyrolized to obtain activated carbon for industrial use ormore completely pyrolized for energy production in sepa-rate type of thermal station as found in West Germanyand Japan (Rahman,1991)Lastly a comprehensive plan to tackle the waste man-agement problem should be implemented. A comprehen-sive plan for waste management should include the fol-lowing ingredients:(Cointreau, 1982)(1) Establish an acceptable standard of service delivery(2) Select appropriate technology(3) Create a phased action plan(4) Arrange institutions for planning, management andservice delivery(5) Arrange financial resources and budget planningsystem(6) Develop regulatory and enforcement supportsystem(7) Provide pubic education and participationprogrammes(8) Incorporate incentives and disincentives to aidprogramme success.* Tk or Taka is the unit of Bangladesh currency. CurrentlyTaka 40 equals one U.S. dollar.

Solid waste management in Dhaka

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Solid waste management in Dhaka

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