The New Nation - Internet Edition

Sarker Nazrul Islam

Dhaka city inhabited by more than ten million people accumulates hundreds of tonnes of solid waste every day. The management of this huge quantity of garbage has proved to be a challenging task. The Matuail Landfill Improvement Project on the outskirts of the city is an attempt to handle the matter in an altogether new manner instead of open dumping of waste.

Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) has been working to improve the solid waste management with the technical assistance of Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA). The total cost of the project has been estimated at the 466.3 million. A master plan on waste management was formulated in 2005 for a period of ten years. As part of this plan, DCC has constructed the first ever sanitary landfill at Matuail. The landfill covers an area of nearly 40 hectares. Out of this, 20 hectares are being developed for a future landfill and a leachate treatment plant.

In the past, open dumping had been a very common waste disposal practice. A large amount of leachate oozing out of fermenting waste made the site hygienically unsafe and environmentally unsound. Dumping of huge waste obstructed flow of leachate and venting of highly combustible gases led to explosion and fire hazards.

The Matuail landfill project has been designed to make garbage dumping into a properly designed and well-managed landfill. Now discipline has been established in different sectors of waste management. The crude dumping system has been converted into environment friendly and sound sanitary dumping system. The solid wastes are disposed of in layers, compacted and covered with a layer of matured wastes and soil to avoid adverse environmental impacts. Soil cover is also intended to facilitate decomposition of the solid waste. Perforated pipe network has been installed to allow leachate roll down to drains and finally to a series of aerobic treatment ponds. Another common by-product is gas. The network of perforated pipes and the vent pipes allow gases come out. All these arrangements have made the Matuail landfill project a safe and hygienic waste management system.

On a visit to the site, it was found that the main thrust of the work is still limited to management of waste. The ponds to hold and treat the leachate are still to be completed. No infrastuctural development for using the waste for generating power or producing fertiliser was noticed.

Earlier there was no data management system at the site. Now a computerised system provided with a weighbridge has been installed to keep records of waste. According to records, the annual dumping at the Matuail site is supposed to reach 3 lakh tonnes. The whole area has been brought under flood light coverage. But due to lack of sufficient voltage they cannot make optimum use of lighting facilities. The garbage trucks are unloaded with the help of excavators. This involves a risk of damaging the bodies of the carriers. Use of dumping trucks would facilitate the safer and faster unloading.

The security arrangement is not strong enough for such a project. Some men and women were found busy collecting recyclable items at close quarters of the moving bulldodgers. There is every chance of their getting crushed under the wheels of the vehicles. However, it is known that arrangements are being made to deploy 20 armed Ansars to guard the site.

Persons directly involved in handling garbage are exposed to serious health hazards. The workers claimed to be suffering from respiratory diseases. They need to be brought under health insurance coverage.

Inspite of some limitations, which are likely to be overcome in course of time, the Matuail landfill project has demonstrated how waste management can be accomplished in a more sanitary manner. The experiences of the Matuail project should also be applied to the other dumping sites of the country. However, efforts must be there to use wastes and garbage as resources for generating power and producing fertilisers.