Garbage management system in low income settlements: a case study of Bauniabandh settlement in Mirpur ,Dhaka

Abstract

Bangladesh is facing high rate of urbanization. The population density of DCC area is 20,591persons per sq. km and continuous migration is a major cause. The employment opportunities are lagging far behind the urbanization rate, as a result most migrants remain underemployed or unemployed. They undertake a wide range of informal economic activities with low earning and the low income settlements or slums become the ultimate shelter for low income group in the city. In the low income settlements there is shortage of urban services, NGOs deal with basic services like water supply, sanitation, education, health and hygiene but rarely with garbage or solid waste management. The ultimate result is poor environmental condition and this poses various risks to healthy living. In Dhaka, City Corporation is providing conservancy service with shortage of sufficient manpower, fund and logistics. At present it can collect only 37% of the total waste generated in the city. In the study area, Community Based Organization (CBO) is engaged in door-to-door garbage collection. Each day they can collect about 10.62 m3 or 4.88 tons garbage that is 70% of the total generation. In Bauniabandh most of the households (landowners & tenants) are poor with average monthly income of Taka 5629.00; about 51.1% of the respondents live in their own house; approximately 79.5% of the households consist of 4-6 family members; average per capita per day expenditure for food is Taka 26.97. Among the landowners approximately 61.17% are rehabilitee. Both the landowners and tenants have very limited family space. About 72% of households depend on the NGO assisted healthcare service and about 58.5% of family heads have received primary education. Approximately 89% of households use piped water supply. About 95% households have access road, wide or narrow. It was found that approximately 62% of households have participated at least in one garbage management meeting. About 80% of households expressed that they are aware then before regarding the necessity of proper garbage management through the active support of NGOs. The collected garbage is dumped at the edge of the water body next to the study area and some uncollected garbage are thrown in the open space, road, drain, etc. Both the collected and uncollected garbage of the study area is polluting the living environment as DCC does not collect the garbage from the local dumping site. The present garbage management system is enhancing the filling up the low land/ water bodies adjacent to the Bauniabandh. The water bodies next to the study area acting as the retention pond for a vast area of the city like Mirpur11,12, 13, Pallobi, Manikdi, Matikata, Bhashantek, Cantonment, etc. If the low land is filled up or blocked by infrastructure development a large area will face immediate and long term environmental degradation as well as planned urban development will be interrupted.