BE Magazine

40
Pollution Control
Ever-increasing Pollution
Dhaka is located on the northern bank of Buriganga
River and is surrounded by the Turag, Dhaleshwari,
Tongi canal, Balu, and Shitalakkhya. More than
7000 industries and factories are situated on the
banks of these rivers or close to the river system.
The rivers around Dhaka City are increasingly being
polluted as a result of a huge volume of toxic wastes
from industrial areas and sewage lines, as well as
petroleum discharge from ships, launches, cargoes,
boats, etc.
In the rainy season, Aminbazar landfill turns into an
artificial floating island in the flood flow zone near
the Turag River, polluting the ecosystem. Study
shows, around 200 to 300 acres of land surrounding
the landfill are rendered uncultivable. Degradation
of land and water system is forcing the inhabitants
nearby to leave their homes, as livelihoods from
farming or fishing is becoming impossible and the
environment is too toxic to live in.
Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) in Dhaka and other
cities pose a serious problem for Bangladesh because
of severe adverse effects on the environment and
health of citizens.
The amount of waste is expected to grow in the
future as the waste increases with the rise of city
population and living standard. Major problems
associated with the unsafe MSW management
include: Surface and Ground water pollution; Water
logging due to blockage of drains; Air pollution;
Water borne diseases including Diarrhoea, Typhoid,
Malaria, Hepatitis etc; Toxic odours; Destruction of
natural ecosystem and aquatic ecology.
MSW to Energy
The Government of Bangladesh (GoB) has set
a target to generate 10% of the total electricity
from renewable sources. As per BPDB statistics,
GoB plans to generate around 1883 MW from the
renewable sources out of a targeted total of 18838
MW by 2021.
Several options for renewable energy sources are
available such as Solar, Wind, Geothermal, Hydro
and Municipal waste, etc. In comparison with
other sources, Municipal Waste to Energy is the
most feasible option for Bangladesh. Moreover, the
transformation of MSW to electricity brings farreaching
health benefits due to sustainable pollution
control and reduction of water-borne diseases.
Characteristics of raw materials within solid waste
are affected by several factors, which range from
a variety of waste within an excavated landfill,
Monthly business magazine
December, 2019