Litter-ally Illegal

The mayors of two Dhaka city corporations have urged the residents to work hand in hand to keep the city clean. But call it laziness or ignorance, no one seems bothered to step forward. And when it rains in Dhaka and the roads get waterlogged, no one is left out of the blame game. It all goes down to your reckless littering on the streets.

We as humans, have a tendency of running away from responsibilities. We complain about things, but do not wish to change anything ourselves. We strive for our rights, but in return, we are not willing to perform our duties as citizens.

Article 21 of the Bangladesh Constitution confers the duty upon every citizen to maintain discipline and protect public property. Hence, throwing your trash here and there may be considered as a violation of the Constitution!

Every year, on Eid-ul-Azha, thousands of cattle are slaughtered in Dhaka alone. Whereas Islam teaches us ‘cleanliness is part of faith’, we do not maintain it even on this religious occasion.

Sacrificial animals, like cows and goats, are slaughtered openly on the streets, despite appeals by our city authorities to do so neatly in specially designated places. Animal wastes, like blood and innards, which are scattered everywhere ultimately start to rot and create a threat to public health. Many people tend to dump animal remains in open drains, while others pile them up in public dustbins. Hence, these places become a breeding ground for dangerous germs.

Apart from the Eid festivities, dumping garbage on the street is almost second nature to the citizens of Dhaka. Ironically, many of them are sensitive about the cleanliness of their homes, but do not possess any sense of responsibility when it comes to littering their neighbourhood. Therefore, it is not surprising to find mounds of garbage in the alleys everywhere.

The term ‘garbage’ has been defined in the Local Government (City Corporation) Amended Act, 2009, to include dead animals, trash, excrement, leftovers or any toxic material. The law says that the relevant city corporation is responsible for the timely removal of wastes. It also states that ‘it is an offence if a person throws or keeps rubbish on the street or any place other than that prescribed by the city corporation’. The law adds that where there is no express provision for punishment, then the offender may be liable to a fine not exceeding Tk 5,000. If the offence is repeated, then the fine shall continue at the rate of Tk 500 per day, until the offence ends.

There are five established laws on environment in Bangladesh. These acts focus mainly on ecological balance, use of national resources, sustainable development and pollution control. Bangladesh Environment Protection Act, 1995 describes the term pollution on a broader aspect. Littering or dumping rubbish on the streets may be less significant compared to the definition of pollution in the 1995 Act.

But the consequences of poor waste management in the cities may be considered equally devastating. The open dustbins around the city spread germs directly into the air, creating the possibility of deadly diseases.

It is impossible to instill a sense of responsibility among those who are habitually untidy. Although the 2009 Local Government Act has ambitious provisions on punishment for littering, it is hardly enforced. Strict liability is all that it takes to fix the problem.

Only a strict liability rule can bring stability, if not total change. Imposing fines of large amounts is the only solution. One shall definitely be at a loss if he or she has to pay Tk 500 for throwing an empty chips packet, which cost just Tk 20!

The same people who litter are the ones who complain about dirt and filth on the roads. Call it laziness or habit, littering in Dhaka has gone beyond control. Campaigns cannot do what a strict law can do. If unable to create a separate act, the city mayors could implement the existing laws more strictly so that littering is prevented.

The writer is an apprentice advocate at Dhaka Judge Court.

Photos : Internet

Litter-ally Illegal

The mayors of two Dhaka city corporations have urged the residents to work hand in hand to keep the city clean. But call it laziness or ignorance, no one seems bothered to step forward. And when it rains in Dhaka and the roads get waterlogged, no one is left out of the blame game. It all goes down to your reckless littering on the streets. We as humans, have a tendency of running away from responsibilities. We complain about things, but do not wish to change anything ourselves. We strive for our rights, but in return, we are not willing to perform our duties as citizens. Article 21 of the Bangladesh Constitution confers the duty upon every citizen to maintain discipline and protect public property. Hence, throwing your trash here and there may be considered as a violation of the Constitution! Every year, on Eid-ul-Azha, thousands of cattle are slaughtered in Dhaka alone. Whereas Islam teaches us cleanliness is part of faith, we do not maintain it even on this religious occasion. Sacrificial animals, like cows and goats, are slaughtered openly on the streets, despite appeals by our city authorities to do so neatly in specially designated places. Animal wastes, like blood and innards, which are scattered everywhere ultimately start to rot and create a threat to public health. Many people tend to dump animal remains in open drains, while others pile them up in public dustbins. Hence, these places become a breeding ground for dangerous germs. Apart from the Eid festivities, dumping garbage on the street is almost second nature to the citizens of Dhaka. Ironically, many of them are sensitive about the cleanliness of their homes, but do not possess any sense of responsibility when it comes to littering their neighbourhood. Therefore, it is not surprising to find mounds of garbage in the alleys everywhere. The term garbage has been defined in the Local Government (City Corporation) Amended Act, 2009, to include dead animals, trash, excrement, leftovers or any toxic material. The law says that the relevant city corporation is responsible for the timely removal of wastes. It also states that it is an offence if a person throws or keeps rubbish on the street or any place other than that prescribed by the city corporation. The law adds that where there is no express provision for punishment, then the offender may be liable to a fine not exceeding Tk 5,000. If the offence is repeated, then the fine shall continue at the rate of Tk 500 per day, until the offence ends. There are five established laws on environment in Bangladesh. These acts focus mainly on ecological balance, use of national resources, sustainable development and pollution control. Bangladesh Environment Protection Act, 1995 describes the term pollution on a broader aspect. Littering or dumping rubbish on the streets may be less significant compared to the definition of pollution in the 1995 Act. But the consequences of poor waste management in the cities may be considered equally devastating. The open dustbins around the city spread germs directly into the air, creating the possibility of deadly diseases. It is impossible to instill a sense of responsibility among those who are habitually untidy. Although the 2009 Local Government Act has ambitious provisions on punishment for littering, it is hardly enforced. Strict liability is all that it takes to fix the problem. Only a strict liability rule can bring stability, if not total change. Imposing fines of large amounts is the only solution. One shall definitely be at a loss if he or she has to pay Tk 500 for throwing an empty chips packet, which cost just Tk 20! The same people who litter are the ones who complain about dirt and filth on the roads. Call it laziness or habit, littering in Dhaka has gone beyond control. Campaigns cannot do what a strict law can do. If unable to create a separate act, the city mayors could implement the existing laws more strictly so that littering is prevented. The writer is an apprentice advocate at Dhaka Judge Court. Photos : Internet