Solid Waste Management Analysis: Aftabnagar, Dhaka, Bangladesh

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of solid waste management in Aftabnagar, Dhaka, Bangladesh. It begins with an introduction to Aftabnagar and its waste generation, which is estimated at 101 tons per day, covering various waste types like solid, commercial, liquid, gaseous, and biomedical waste. The report focuses on solid waste, detailing its sources (municipal, industrial, and biomedical) and composition. It then discusses waste generation in Dhaka, the collection process, and the disposal procedure, including primary and secondary collection and the final dumping sites. The report highlights the current challenges and inefficiencies in waste management, such as insufficient collection in slum areas. Finally, the report proposes recommendations for improved solid waste management, emphasizing the 3Rs (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) principles and the importance of source segregation. The report concludes with a call for combined efforts from governing bodies, NGOs, and citizens to implement effective waste management systems in Aftabnagar.

Solid waste management of Aftabnagar (Dhaka)
Introduction:
Aftabnagar is under Badda thana situated in Dhaka metropolitan city. Aftabnagar is regulated by
Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) and population estimated about 10,000. The modern
Aftabnagar area is a sharp contrast to the once “rural” area. Even though the housing project is
still in the process of being developed, it has vastly modernized and have a homely outlook. The
city is home to mostly retired government officers, students of nearby educational institutes and
office goers of Gulshan and Badda areas. Everyday produced a large number of wastes in this area
which is about of 101 ton/ day (estimated). There are so many wastes produces such as:
• Solid waste
• Commercial waste
• Liquid waste
• Gaseous waste
• Chemical waste
• Biodegradable waste
• Business waste
• Biomedical waste
So these are some of the types of waste produced. No let’s talk preciously about Solid waste.
Solid Waste:
Solid waste is useless and sometimes hazardous material with low liquid content. Solid wastes
include municipal garbage, industrial and commercial waste, sewage sludge, wastes resulting
from agricultural and animal husbandry operations and other connected activities, demolition
wastes and mining residues.
Again, there are 3 types of solid waste sources, they are as follows:
1) Household waste or, Municipal waste

2) Industrial waste or, Hazardous waste &
3) Biomedical waste or, Hospital waste.
Municipal Waste:
Municipal solid waste, commonly known as trash or garbage in the United States and rubbish in
Britain, is a waste type consisting of everyday items that are discarded by the public.
Industrial Waste:
Industrial waste is defined as waste generated by manufacturing or industrial processes. The
types of industrial waste generated include cafeteria garbage, dirt and gravel, masonry and
concrete, scrap metals, trash, oil, solvents, chemicals, weed grass and trees, wood and scrap
lumber, and similar wastes.
Biomedical Waste:
Biomedical waste or hospital waste is any kind of waste containing infectious (or potentially
infectious) materials. It may also include waste associated with the generation of biomedical
waste that visually appears to be of medical or laboratory origin (e.g. packaging, unused
bandages, infusion kits etc.), as well research laboratory waste containing biomolecules or
organisms that are mainly restricted from environmental release.

The Compositions of Solid Waste:
Waste Generation:
Dhaka generates approximately 1.65 million metric tons of solid waste annually. The waste
stream is more than 80% organic matter and contains a wide variety of substances, such as food
waste, paper, cloth, agricultural waste, construction debris, metals, hospital waste, and
appliances.
%68
10%
5%
%0
%1
4%
%2
1%
%9
Average Physical Compoaition of DCC Solid Waste
Food & Vegetable
Paper
Plastic, leather & rubber
Metals
Glass
Wood, grass, leaves
Rags, textile, jute
Medecine
Rocks, dirts

Waste Collection:
In the DNCC, it is estimated that only 40–60% of waste is collected; a 2007 study estimated that
approximately 42% of the entire city’s (DNCC and DSCC) waste is collected. Uncollected waste
is deposited in open spaces, where its accumulation contributes to foul odors, rodents, and
clogged storm water and sewer drains. Which contributes to a range of health and environmental
impacts. Waste Climate and Clean Air Coalition Municipal Solid Waste Initiative
www.unep.org/ccac collection is particularly insufficient in the slum areas, which are home to
approximately half of the city’s poor and where government services are minimal. Dhaka is
making improvements under its 2005 Solid Waste Master Plan, which led to a new system for
regularly collecting household waste from a network of collection bins throughout the city.
However, that plan is due to expire in 2015, and it is not certain that a new plan will replace it
Waste Disposal Procedure:
There are few steps that are followed in order to dispose the waste that is generated, these are as
follows-
• Primary waste collection
• Secondary waste collection
• Final dumping site
Primary waste collection: Collected waste is first transported on hand trolleys from dense
neighborhoods to consolidation locations. I interviewed a garbage trolley man, who collects the
waste from my house. His name is Boshir (not his real name). He told me that he starts collecting
waste from 8am till 4pm. After that he searches items from the waste to sell it off, and earn some
extra money.

Secondary waste collection: The collected waste from hand trolleys are dumped in a specified
dump spot. Every area has a specified waste bin. The waste bin for Aftabnagar area is Rampura
Waste Bin, which is located just adjacent to Rampura canal.

Final dumping site: From the specified waste bin, it is loaded onto city‐owned trucks. Before 2007,
these trucks transported the waste to two open dumps outside the city Example- Aminbazar landfill,
Postogola landfill, Matuail landfill etc. In 2007, one of the dumps was converted to a controlled landfill
(in DSCC), but access is limited by traffic congestion and a large portion of the waste generated in the
DSCC is consequently transported to the DNCC. The DNCC is planning upgrades to its dump, including
adding a leachate management system and a waste‐to‐energy facility.

Recommendation solid waste management for Aftabnagar area:
There are several steps of Solid waste management:
a) Storage
b) Collection
c) Transport and handling
d) Recycling
e) Disposal and monitoring of waste materials
The principle of reducing waste, reusing and recycling resources and products is often called the
"3Rs." The national 3R goal for waste management is achieve complete elimination of waste
disposal on open dumps, rivers, flood plains by 2015 and promote recycling of waste through
mandatory segregation of waste at source as well as create a market for recycled products and
provide incentives for recycling of waste. The 3Rs represents Reduce, Reuse & Recycle.
• Reduce: Reducing means choosing to use items with care to reduce the amount of waste
generated.
• Reuse: Reusing involves the repeated use of items or parts of items which still have
usable aspects.
• Recycle: Recycling means the use of waste itself as resources.

For me this is the best possible solution deal with this grave waste management obstacle. Of
Aftabnagar. People needs should understand the importance of these 3R’s. If the waste is
stratified and filtered by its type and thus separated in different colour bags from the household
then a huge work is already been done. It will be much easy for the concerned party to manage it.
We as a citizen have a responsibility too!

Conclusion:
Waste management systems and techniques vary depending on socio-economic, demographic,
geographical and cultural differences. Despite poor waste collection system provided by the local
authority in Dhaka, waste management systems can still be upgraded by combined efforts of
different governing bodies, NGO’s and general citizens. In order to make our country clean and
beautiful there is no other possible way to do it other than a proper waste management system.
And, if I say about Aftabnagar solely then, it has a good opportunity to do it more efficiently as
this residential area is still not fully developed. New plans and systems can be easily implied here
for the beautification this residential area.

References:
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