Although the recently-elected mayors of Dhaka north and south city corporations had promised to make Dhaka a clean capital, the city dwellers keep on facing the heaps of stinking wastes on the city streets for lack of proper waste management, reports UNB. Thousands of commuters have to pass through sickening stench of rotting garbage every day as no concrete effort is in sight to solve the problem.
However, the mayors of the two city corporations—Annisul Huq of Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) and Sayeed Khokon of Dhaka South City Corporation (DNCC) -- underscored the need for raising people’s awareness over dumping wastes which can help solve the problems related to garbage management in the capital. They said 70 per cent of the problems related to garbage management will go soon if the stakeholders work in coordination.
They mainly underscored the need for creating public awareness in this regard saying that their all-efforts will turn futile if all stakeholders, including common people, do not perform accordingly. But, an urban planner suggested working out a comprehensive plan to deal with the huge waste the capital generates every day and then go for a campaign for building public awareness.
Talking to UNB, DNCC mayor Annisul Huq said, “If the city dwellers don’t behave logically while dumping wastes, then no initiative will work. If people act properly, then 70 per cent works regarding waste management will be fruitful automatically.”
Huq, a businessman-turned-public representative, said the city corporation will undertake programmes to create awareness among city dwellers so that they dump garbage at designated places.
He also said one-or two garbage godowns will be set up in every ward under the DNCC to ensure the dumping of garbage at proper places.
DSCC mayor Sayeed Khokon said, “Wherever I go, I inspire citizens to dump wastes at the designated places. Even I’m distributing garbage disposal bags to facilitate the activity.”
He went on saying, “The city belongs to all. So, we’ll have to think and work in a coordinated way to make our city neat and clean. I hope, though it will take time, the outcome of our efforts will be visible within one or two years if all stakeholders play a responsible role.”
Architect Iqbal Habib said the two mayors know it very well that it is not possible to manage the waste properly without the cooperation from the city dwellers.
“Many processes are involved in between collection of wastes and its processing. So, the two mayors first need to choose the approach by which one they would complete the entire process. Then they will have to involve people,” he added. He also said the mass media can play a positive in creating awareness among city dwellers in this regard.