Bypass road turns dumping ground amid landfill crisis

Garbage is being dumped in the open along the bypass road connecting Rajshahi and Chapainawabganj, causing nuisance to local residents and passersby.

Locals alleged that the waste is being dumped by the Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) itself. RCC officials, however, denied the allegation.

According to sources, the city's only landfill, which is about 15.95 acres in size, has largely run out of space. Even though garbage is still being dumped there using excavators, it is not enough. As such, some garbage is being dumped along both sides of the city bypass regularly.

"We have to use this road daily. The bad odour makes it very hard for us to move around here. Also, leaving garbage in the open like this can proliferate pests and spread diseases," said Md Raihan Ali, a shopkeeper at a city market.

"The situation is only getting worse every day. The authorities should take action quickly," said Md Shwapon, a local college student.

However, RCC officials gave a different explanation.

"We always dump waste in the designated landfill. The garbage along the bypass road was not from city institutions. People from outside the city are dumping waste there illegally at night. We've tried to nab them and taken action several times," said Selim Reza Ronju, deputy chief cleaning officer of RCC.

When told that garbage trucks from the city corporation were seen dumping waste there, Selim Reza admitted, "Yes, before Eid-ul-Azha, some city waste was dumped there because a livestock market was set up near the landfill and blocked our trucks. It was only for a few days, and later we moved the waste. After Eid, we have not dumped any garbage there or anywhere else except the landfill."

Rajshahi city produces about 500 tonnes of waste daily, which the RCC collects through a ward-based system.

Cleaning usually starts around 9:00pm, especially in markets and public areas, while household garbage is picked up from homes and businesses, and all this waste is taken to 18 Secondary Transfer Stations (STS) before being sent to the main landfill.

Selim Reza said a new landfill for disposing of the city's waste is on the cards.

"We have visited Dhaka north and south city corporations to learn from their waste management systems. We have already sent a proposal to the ministry concerned for a new designated landfill site. We hope work will begin after the newly elected leaders take office," he added.