Waste collectors yet to start door to door visit

Although the door-to-door garbage collection programme of Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) was supposed to start in August as per a CCC declaration, the authorities could not do so.

CCC Mayor AJM Nasir Uddin on August 1 inaugurated the programme in seven CCC wards through handing over bins to two housewives at Barik Mia High School in the city.

Seven wards such as Pashchim Sholoshahar, Shulokbahar, Bagmonirum, Enayetbazar, Uttar Patantuli, Al-karan and Gosaildanga were initially brought under the waste removal programme.

Conceding the delay, Shaibal Das Sumon, chairman of CCC Waste Management Standing Committee, said it was a new endeavour in this city. So, it would take time to start its implementation in full swing. 

"About two lakh bins are required for the seven wards, and distributing such a huge number of bins is also a time-consuming task," he reasoned, hoping to finish the work by this month.

The official added, "Hopefully, we can go for waste collection and removal from next month in these wards."

They will start distributing bins in nine more wards soon after the Eid-ul-Azha, Sumon informed.

Contacted, Md Morshed Alam, councillor of Shulokbahar Ward, said 30,000 out of about 75,000 required bins have been distributed in his ward.

The rest will be distributed within this month, he said.

Enayetbazar Ward Councillor Md Solim Ullah said they have so far provided about 10,000 bins to households, shops and other business establishments in the area, adding that 5,000 more bins will be distributed.

Some 13,000 out of 15,000 required bins have been distributed in Uttar Pathantuli Ward, and the remaining bins will be distributed within a couple of days, said its councillor Md Javed.

CCC sources said all the 41 wards will be brought under this initiative by the end of this year.

At first, trash will be collected from all households and shops. Then conservancy workers will carry them to designated dumping grounds by trucks, added the sources.

As per the information provided by the conservancy department, the city which is inhabited by around six million people produces about 1,600 tonnes of garbage each day. 

Around 10 lakh bins, and 2,000 additional workers and 2,000 rickshaw vans will be needed to start the work in full swing in all the wards, CCC Chief Conservancy Officer Shafiqul Mannan Siddique said.