NORTH SOUTH UNIVERSITY

Spring 2021
Course: ENV107
Section: 12
Faculty: Ms. Shamrita Zaman (SZN1)

Title: Challenges & Issues Regarding

Sustainable Municipal Solid Waste
Management in
Dhaka City.

Submitted By: Ahnaf Akif ID: 2022018630

Date of submission: 8 May,2021
Introduction:
Human actions produce waste, which is inevitable. Economic growth,
urbanization, and rising living conditions in cities have all resulted in an increase
in the quantity and complexity of waste produced. Rapid demographic growth and
industrialization degrade the urban landscape and put significant strain on natural
capital, undermining balanced and sustainable development. In most developing-
world towns, inefficient solid waste collection and recycling is a clear source of
environmental deterioration. Municipal companies in developed countries are
unable to manage increasing waste volumes, resulting in uncollected waste on the
streets, ridges, as well as other public places. A sustainable waste management
system is required, which necessitates environmental, structural, ecological,
economic, and social sustainability.

Characteristics of the generated solid waste in Dhaka city:

A reliable estimate of the quantity of solid waste generation in the city is very
important for proper solid waste planning and management. However, reported
estimates of solid waste generation vary widely and lead to questionability. The
stated values are based on demographic assumptions, the normal rate of waste
production by households, density values, the number of trucks used for waste
transportation, and truck movement tracking at dump sites, among other things.
The varied nature of the available data, as well as the issue of precision, necessitate
a thorough analysis that attempted to record the waste quantity in Dhaka City's
recently formulated master plan. In calculating waste quantity and potential
estimates, socioeconomic parameters, behavioral characteristics, generation
sources, seasonality, and per capita growth rate are taken into account. The results
of the waste quantity calculation show that seasonal fluctuations in the urban solid
waste supply are not important. Food waste is the most seasonally volatile material
in the urban solid waste stream. The waste produced in the home is relatively
homogeneous. While waste generation differs based on demographic and other
local factors, most households dispose of essentially similar forms of waste. The
composition of waste varies according to income status and source category. There
is also variation depending on the degree of source mitigation and recycling
opportunities. Since there are ways to recycle waste, recycling facilities will need
to expand at the same rate as waste production. The physical and chemical
properties of solid waste are critical for implementing a waste collection and
management strategy and selecting resource and energy recovery potentials.
(Sufian & Bala, 2007)

Figure (1): Solid wastes in Dhaka city

Existing waste handling system by Dhaka City Corporation:

Collecting solid wastes:
Though residents are responsible for bringing their waste to the waste collection
points, NGOs/CBOs/private sector provide primary collection services to collect
waste door-to-door and transport the waste to dustbins, containers, or sometimes to
vacant lands, by rickshaw vans. The private in primary collection facilities are now
(2015) widespread in many areas of Dhaka. Every morning, cleaners sweep major
roads, alleys, and footpaths and collect all waste in a central location. Then, using a
hand trolley, transport it to the specified point/dustbin/container. Every day, a team
of 10 to 12 cleaners is sent to various ward locations to sweep open drains, deep
drains, surface drains, and storm sewerage lines. (Sufian & Bala, 2007)
 Figure (2): Collecting solid wastes
Transportation of the wastes:
The government purchased 132 modern waste collection vehicles, including 40
compactors and 27 container carriers, for secondary collection to gather waste
from collection points and transport waste to the disposal site, as stated in CCAP
(2013). The Japanese government financed a large portion of Dhaka's waste
management fleet, donating 100 vehicles estimated at USD 5 million through the
Environmental Grant Aid Program (EGAP). The Japanese government has
cancelled Bangladesh's debt for the purchasing of 27 container ships through the
Debt Cancellation Fund (CCAP, 2013).
Disposal of solid wastes:
Waste is collected in dense areas and delivered on hand trolleys (often through
private microenterprises) to consolidation sites, where it is loaded into city owned
vehicles. Prior to 2007, these trucks hauled waste to two open dumps outside of
town. One of the dumps was converted to a managed landfill (in the DSCC) in
2007, but access is restricted due to traffic congestion, so a significant portion of
the waste produced in the DSCC is transferred to the DNCC. 2 The DNCC intends
to update its landfill, including the installation of a leachate control system and a
waste to energy plant.
 Figure (3): Disposal of solid wastes
According to JICA in 2005, the majority of solid waste in Dhaka was disposed of
at landfill sites without any intermediate handling, namely Matuail, Beri Band
(Embankment), and Uttara. Hai and Ali discovered six dumping sites to their
capacities: (1) Kulsi, (2) Chalkbari Ghat, (3) Gabtoli-Mirpur, (4) Lalbagh Shosan
ghat, (5) Mugdapara, and (6) Jatrabari (Hai and transported to Matuail landfill site,
while DNCC uses disposal). (JICA2005)

Legal framework of municipal solid waste management:

Municipalities are solely responsible for the care, recycling, and disposal of solid
waste, which is generally regulated by municipal by-laws that provide the legal and
administrative provisions for collection and disposal. Regulations promulgated
under the Planning and Building Law specify the size and form of waste
containers, as well as the size and type of buildings used to house these containers.
Municipalities are responsible for the location of landfills and other waste disposal
sites, which are governed by the Planning and Building Law and its legislation, as
well as the National Outline Scheme for Solid Waste Disposal.
The Minister of the Environment is allowed to issue rules on the law's
enforcement, such as forms of waste for recycling, container types, and so on.
Regulations in various stages of preparation or consideration include: a waste
recycling obligation requiring local governments to prepare at least 10% of their
waste for recycling by the beginning of 1995, gradually increasing to 25% by the
year 2000; a requirement for manufacturers to label products with the accepted
universal code indicating the type of material as well as the appropriate disposal
method and a deposit system for returnable containers and bottles.

Present status of the existing solid waste management system

in Dhaka city:
In Dhaka, per unit solid waste production is very low; but, due to the city's vast
size and dense population, the solid waste problem in Dhaka is quite acute in
comparison to many developing-country cities. Dhaka City generates over 4000
metric tons of solid waste per day. Toxic compounds, radioactive elements, and
pathological contaminants are among the 200 Metric Tons of hospital and clinical
waste. 15 to 20% of medical wastes are extremely hazardous to human life. When
these wastes are discarded in the open field with other urban wastes, they pose a
significant health risk to city dwellers.
Based on the total projected urban population in 2005, Waste Concern Study
(2005) estimated that total waste produced in Dhaka was approximately 4,634.52
tons/day, amounting to more than 1.69 million tons/year. Furthermore, according
to a JICA report, the rate of waste generation rises by 46 percent during the wet
season (Enayetullah et al., 2005). According to Alamgir and Ahsan (2007), waste
generation rates range from 0.325 to 0.485 kg/cap/day, with Dhaka City having the
maximum rate of 0.485 kg/cap/day. They also estimated that approximately 78
percent of solid waste is produced by the residential sector, 20 percent by the
industrial sector, 1% percent by the institutional sector, and the remainder by other
industries. The average rate of waste production from domestic sources was found
to be 0.34 kg/cap/day (JICA, 2005). According to Yousuf and Rahman, the solid
waste assets in Dhaka City are distinguished by high moisture content and low
calorific value (2007). Municipal solid waste is not only rising over time, but its
composition is also evolving. Organic waste is declining whereas paper and
plastics are the in the waste stream, reflecting a rising preference for packaged
food use in recent years (Yousuf and Rahman, 2007).
 Figure (4): Solid waste management in Dhaka

Proximate solutions to the existing solid waste management

problems in Dhaka city:

 Wastes first needs to be stabilized and before transferring to landfills.

 Since it is difficult to obtain land for recycling near the city, developers
should be supported and assisted in obtaining government land leases.
 Recycling provides both concrete and intangible benefits; the latter should
be quantified or explicitly presented to assist the municipality in
understanding the importance of recycling.
 By recycling these solid wastes, we can produce energy. So, if wastes are
recycled properly, we can produce energy and use it as an asset.
 Municipal waste control ordinances should incorporate waste collection as a
treatment choice prior to disposal.
 Establish appropriate and state of the art treatment facilities, especially for
hazardous waste.
Integrated Sustainable Solid Waste Management System in
Dhaka City:
Implementing a viable sustainable solid waste management scheme in developed
countries is particularly difficult. According to a study of the relevant literature,
there is no one perfect model that can be applied to all cities and all contexts. As a
result, each city's sustainable solid waste management scheme necessitates a
particular approach tailored to its own unique background, socioeconomic
circumstances, demography, and local society, as well as the city's unique
institutional settings and financial capital. Integrated Sustainable Solid Waste
Management (ISWM) necessitates this solution, which allows for integrated
analyses of a city's dynamic and multi-dimensional processes, integrating waste
production, storage, handling, and recycling approaches, in order to gain
environmental advantages, economic optimization, and social acceptability.
The calorific value (CV) of waste produced in Dhaka is only 8.00 MJ/kg, whereas
the CV needed for waste to energy conversion using incineration technologies
should be greater than 10.00 MJ/kg (The moisture content of waste produced in
Dhaka is higher, accounting for more than 50% of the total (Enayetullah et al.,
2006). As a result, converting waste to energy (via incineration) is not a viable
choice for Dhaka. (Rahman, 2017)

Way Forward and Conclusion:

This research demonstrates that sustainable waste management has enormous
growth potential in Dhaka. There is an urgent need to implement an integrated
solid waste management scheme focused on resource recycling that narrowly
adheres to the waste management hierarchy. Incineration of waste to generate
electricity is not a viable choice for Dhaka. The proper use of recyclable and
compostable waste will significantly minimize the solid waste management issue.

References:
 Sufian, M., & Bala, B. (2007). Modeling of urban solid waste management
system: The case of Dhaka city. Waste Management, 27(7), 858-868. doi:
10.1016/j.wasman.2006.04.011
Yousuf and Rahman, (2007). Municipal solid waste management in Dhaka city.
Present status of solid waste, 77(6), 858-868. doi: 10.13/33.
Rahman, M. (2017). ACHIEVING SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOOD THROUGH
SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT IN DHAKA CITY. International Journal Of
GEOMATE, 12(30). doi: 10.21660/2017.30.160618.
JICA, 2005. The Study on the Solid Waste Management in Dhaka City, Final
Report, Volume 2, Clean Dhaka Master PlanProject, Japan International
Cooperation Agency, Pacific Consultants International andYachiyo Engineering
Co. Ltd. DCC, Dhaka, March 2005.Retrieved
from<http://open_jicareport.jica.go.jp/pdf/11785243.pdf> (accessed on
29September 2019).
Enayetullah, I., Sinha, A. H. M. M., Hossain, I., Islam, S., Khan, K. H., Banu, L.
A., Rahman, M. and Roy, S. K. 2006. Final report on composition of plastic waste
and market assessment of the plastic recycling sector in Dhaka City, Waste
Concern, Dhaka 2006.Retrieved
from<http://wasteconcern.org/wpcontent/uploads/2016/04/Plastic-
Study_Summary-1.pdf> (accessed on 18 October 2019).
Hai, F. I. and Ali, M. A., 2005. “A Study on Solid Waste Management System of
Dhaka City Corporation: Effect of Composting and Landfill Location”, UAP
Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Vol. 1, No. 1, 2005.
Yousuf and Rahman (2007), “Study of Solid Waste management and its Impact on
Climate Change: A Case Study of Dhaka City in Bangladesh”. Retrieve from
http://benjapan.org/iceab10/62.pdf on 15 April, 2014.