Govt moves to build dumping yards in all municipalities
Deputy commissioners asked to allocate khas land
The government has launched an initiative to build dumping yards to improve waste management in all 330 municipalities across the country.
To facilitate the plan, the Local Government Division under the Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Ministry has asked all deputy commissioners (DCs) to allocate government-owned khas land within municipalities or in nearby sparsely populated areas.
The division sent letters to DCs on 17 June, outlining the initiative.
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According to the letter, a high-level meeting chaired by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on 7 June directed the preparation of an action plan to improve waste management in order to protect the environment and control pollution.
Following that directive, a meeting chaired by the state minister for local government on 11 June decided to establish dumping yards for municipal waste management.
According to the meeting proceedings, dumping yards will be built in municipalities that currently do not have any. The facilities will be set up on government-owned khas land. Until the process of permanent land allocation is completed, DCs will be asked to allow municipalities to use the land temporarily under one-year leases.
The letters also instruct DCs to identify suitable khas land, initially provide it through annual leases, and later arrange permanent allocation.
Officials at the Local Government Division said that although Bangladesh has 330 municipalities, a large number still lack planned dumping yards or sanitary landfills. As a result, waste is often dumped in open spaces, along roadsides or near water bodies, contributing to environmental pollution, foul odours, waterlogging and public health risks.
Many municipalities have long cited a shortage of suitable land as the main obstacle to establishing proper waste disposal facilities.
Sources said some municipalities are seeking permission to purchase land at suitable locations instead of using khas land. The Kaliganj Municipality in Gazipur District, for example, has already written to the Local Government Division seeking approval to buy land for a dumping yard.
Several deputy commissioners said they are working to identify and allocate khas land as quickly as possible for municipal waste management.
Golam Md Baten, deputy commissioner of Bagerhat District, told The Business Standard that a project has been undertaken to establish a dumping yard on 1.5 acres of land for solid waste management in Bagerhat Municipality.
