The New Nation - Internet Edition

Md. Rakibul Hassan

Open 'dumping is I a very common waste disposal practice in our country, which is environmentally unsound, unsafe and undeniable. There is a risk of health. and environment in terms of pollution of water resources, emission of green house gases, disease and vector spreading, bed smell, aesthetic disorder and so on. A common scenario in the dump site is obnoxious odor, burning waste and emitting smoke etc. Waste pickers are seen scavenging around the dumping loaders and bulldozers.

Solid waste can not be avoided. By using proper technology we can use wastes as a resource. Waste management is a technique for recycling, reuse or minimizes its adverse effect on the human being. Mainly two types of waste are collected at DCC for processing. Only municipal wastes are used for landfill. On the other hand, reusable hospital wastes are reuse by the processing. Organic hospital wastes are dumped, incinerated. These wastes may be classified into two types-municipal wastes derived from storage, market, restaurant, office building, hotels, institutional and domestic waste. Types of municipal solid waste- food waste, rubbish, ashes, demolition and construction waste etc. Hospital waste- derived from different type of government and non-government hospital, clinic, diagnostic center. Types of hospital waste- tissues, blood products, organs, polythene bags, medicine container, syringe, needle of all types, nozzle of syringes, cover slips, blades, glass, slides etc.

By the definition solid wastes are all the wastes arising from human and animal activities that are normally solid and are discarded as useless or unwanted. Solid waste is defamed as leftover or unwanted material after human consumption or well being and it is the useless byproduct of economic activity. It has no value at the present moment and thrown away as discarded or worthless but a potentially valuable commodity to someone who thrives on it.

Solid Waste Management (SWM) refers to all activities- Generation, Storage, Collection, Transfer & Transport, Processing/Treatment, and Disposal. In accordance with the best principles of- Public health, Economics, Engineering, Conservation, Aesthetic, Social and Environmental aspects and the framework of Administrative, Financial, Legal, Planning, Social and Engineering functions.

Waste management is a technique for recycling, reuse or minimizes its adverse effect on the human being. Some objectives of SWM are given below:

To remove the discarded material from inhabited places in a timely manner in order to prevent the spread of disease, to minimize livelihood of pursuable organic materials. To dispose the material in a manner that is environmentally acceptable.

Waste may be toxic or hazardous that can adversely affect the following components if improperly managed. Some adverse affects of improper management of solid waste are the following environmental issues, such as- Aesthetic displeasure, Public nuisance, Dust, Occupying space, Odor, Vector breeding, Leaching. Health issues, such as-Disease. Flies carries 12 kinds. Cockroach 18 kinds, Rat 22 kinds. Globally affect, such as, Global warming, Acid rain, Ozone layer depletion.

We cannot avoid waste. It may be resource by using proper method which is environmentally acceptable. We have identified some problems those should be minimized. The problems can be overcome through the following recommendation- Segregation process should develop in household level through advertisement or media for avoiding the soil pollution.

The educational opportunity should develop for the child workers and ensure the good heath status. To date, waste reduction has been largely voluntary. A more effective approach must include economic incentives that make it more expensive to waste, and more cost-effective to recycle and reuse. Eventually, consideration must be given to mandatory measures, including disposal bans on locally recyclable materials or mandatory recycling for businesses and residents. Finally, business people in every economic sector including the construction, manufachlring, wholesale, retail and service industries must take responsibility for wise resource use. To take control measure and to reduce the negative impact of open dumping can be mitigate by the construction of sanitary landfill. Although a milestone step has been taken by Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) with the technical assistance and support from the Japan International Co-operation Agency as part of the Clean Dhaka Master Plan. A step by step improvement measures have been tried out in the various place landfill site from open dumping with odor, smoke, scavenging etc. but its limited. If DCC can be implement a sanitary landfill with simple and locally suitable design, materials and construction method of suitable area where mass people protect from various diseases.