Garbage littered on a road in the port city of Chittagong as it is not removed properly from dustbins on time. The photo was taken at Halishahar. Photo: Anurup Kanti Das

Chittagong city dwellers have been experiencing a bitter pill of garbage spilling over from dustbins on the roads for long.
Besides, the waste-laden vehicles have also been spreading bad smell during the day time, making the environment in the port city very unhygienic. People alleged that the city once known as the clean one is now under threat.
The residents said lack of proper garbage management of the Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) and irresponsible waste disposal of a section of city dwellers are causing the situation as most of the dustbins in the city were found in saturated condition.
Wastages are thrown in a disorderly manner in dustbins where street urchins and dogs as well as crows scramble the wastages in a chaotic way that it spread bad smell in the area. The garbage are also littered and not removed for long time making the locality unfit for living, people allege.
CCC officials said they have about 2,000 workers with 12 containers to clean 1350 dustbins in the city. They clean the dustbins two to three times a day when the city dwellers allege it is irregular.
The dustbins in the kitchen market areas were found in worse condition. The localities are Reazuddin Bazar, Kazir Dewri and Karnaphuli kitchen market in Solo Sahar area, Bibirhat Garu Bazar area and CDA Karnaphuli market at Agrabad.
The dustbins are in saturated condition and wastages are littered on the roads. The environment is so bad that none could cross the dump of wastage without covering their faces.
Rubbish has been dumped in Reazuddind Bazar kitchen market area from Teen Poler matha to Station Road portion. Amtal potion and the foot over bridge area which is opposite of the Bipani Bitan (New Market) are always mounted with garbage.
When asked about the situation, Mayor M Manjur Alam said the condition has been bad for the shopkeepers who throw their wastages at dustbins all day long. It would be easier for the cleaner to clean if they throw the wastage at a fixed time daily, he said.
The mayor urged the shop owners to use small baskets to throw the rubbish in dustbins at a fixed time.
Reazuddin Bazar Banik Kalyan Samity President Muhammad Mahabubul Alam opposed the mayor's proposal, saying it is not possible for the kitchen markets. He said it would be better if the city corporation provides wheelie dustbins and clean the main dustbin as much as needed. He said the city corporation should increase the number of dustbins also in the densely populated area like Reazuddin Bazar.
The scenario is almost same in the other kitchen markets in the city. Md Rashid, a shopkeeper of Kazir Dewri Bazar, said dustbin at the entrance of the kitchen market is always full of rubbish. CCC cleans the dustbin twice a day which is not sufficient. He said if CCC could provide small moveable waste container to the kitchen market shops it would help solve the problem. Shop owners would store their waste the whole day at the containers and throw them at dustbins at a fixed time, he added.
Dustbins of the residential areas are also creating same problems as dustbins in Chadgaon Residential Area, Aturar Depo, Lalkhan Bazar and Madarbari area were found spilling waste in a very unhygienic environment.
Munir Mahamud, resident of Aturar Depo, said the system of throwing the waste at dustbins one time is not the solution to this problem. He said a proper garbage management is required for this.
Munir said Chittagong is losing its fame as a 'clean city' for lack of proper management.