Addressing Dhaka�s environmental decline

Residents of Dhaka city with over 15 million people, are exposed to environmental hazards and this situation is worsening day by day. But unfortunately, the response to the same is minimal.
In a city already overloaded with population, more people from all over the country are coming with desperate bid to settle. The influx of population has resulted in not only higher density of people but also growth of slums in a more alarming way.
The management of different kinds of wastes -- solid, clinical, human, industrial and others-- is poor and the issues are not being addressed properly. About 400 tons out of 3,500 tons of solid waste, generated in the city everyday, remain on the road and in open spaces. Vehicles of Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) remove the rest solid waste and carry those to open dumping grounds which are again located in open spaces adjacent to the city contributing to air and water pollution.
Most of the tannery industries in the city's Hazaribagh area and some other industries at Tejgaon area leave hazardous industrial waste untreated. Experts fear that in near future the untreated industrial wastes by seeping underground might severely pollute the underground water which is still the main source of water in the city.
Meanwhile, the inadequate and faulty sewerage network in the city is able to carry only about half of the total sewage to the only sewage treatment plant at Pagla in Narayanganj. The city generates more than 0.1 million cubic metres of sewage everyday.
A huge quantity of sewage oozing out of the city's faulty sewerage network is severely polluting the city's canals, water bodies and the Buriganga river. Untreated sewage is also discharged into the river directly and regularly.
Two studies conducted in the last three years suggested average noise levels were almost double than permissible levels and rising fast. Sound levels in Dhaka are almost twice as loud as the law permits, creating an unhealthy environment for residents, say scientists from the Department of Environment.
Thus, the policy makers in the government need to make it their high priority to make policies leading to improvement in the environment of the capital city.

 

Addressing Dhaka�s environmental decline

Residents of Dhaka city with over 15 million people, are exposed to environmental hazards and this situation is worsening day by day. But unfortunately, the response to the same is minimal. In a city already overloaded with population, more people from all over the country are coming with desperate bid to settle. The influx of population has resulted in not only higher density of people but also growth of slums in a more alarming way. The management of different kinds of wastes -- solid, clinical, human, industrial and others-- is poor and the issues are not being addressed properly. About 400 tons out of 3,500 tons of solid waste, generated in the city everyday, remain on the road and in open spaces. Vehicles of Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) remove the rest solid waste and carry those to open dumping grounds which are again located in open spaces adjacent to the city contributing to air and water pollution. Most of the tannery industries in the citys Hazaribagh area and some other industries at Tejgaon area leave hazardous industrial waste untreated. Experts fear that in near future the untreated industrial wastes by seeping underground might severely pollute the underground water which is still the main source of water in the city. Meanwhile, the inadequate and faulty sewerage network in the city is able to carry only about half of the total sewage to the only sewage treatment plant at Pagla in Narayanganj. The city generates more than 0.1 million cubic metres of sewage everyday. A huge quantity of sewage oozing out of the citys faulty sewerage network is severely polluting the citys canals, water bodies and the Buriganga river. Untreated sewage is also discharged into the river directly and regularly. Two studies conducted in the last three years suggested average noise levels were almost double than permissible levels and rising fast. Sound levels in Dhaka are almost twice as loud as the law permits, creating an unhealthy environment for residents, say scientists from the Department of Environment. Thus, the policy makers in the government need to make it their high priority to make policies leading to improvement in the environment of the capital city.