Planned rural waste management on cards

On average, 0.38 kg of waste is generated per person daily in rural areas, according to the government's first survey of its kind in the country.

Thus, the daily waste generation amounts to 37,084.46 tonnes, 87% of which is compostable, and the remaining 13% is other waste.

Due to a lack of waste management, these wastes are being dumped in different places or reservoirs in villages. As it poses a threat to the environment, it also reduces the fertility of the land. Besides, plastic waste is destroying rivers and canals.

In this situation, the first rural waste management strategy in the country has been adopted. Through this, the recycling of recyclable waste and the creation of entrepreneurship are also planned.

The Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) carried out the survey under the Technical Assistance Project, which is part of the "My Village, My Town" mega plan to bring a range of urban amenities to villages.

The survey was conducted in 150 villages in 15 unions and 40 small, large, and medium-sized markets across the country.

Monzur Sadeque, director of the Technical Assistance Project, said, "As part of the government's commitment to bring urban facilities to villages, emphasis is being put on rural waste management. Waste management is a part of urban facility expansion in planned villages.

"This survey has come up with planned waste management strategies in rural areas across the country, through which sustainable waste management is expected to develop."

Market waste

According to the survey, around 4,290 tonnes of waste are generated daily in the country's rural markets. A large bazaar with around 1,500 shops generates an average of two tonnes of waste. Some 2.5 tonnes of waste are generated on a haat day and one to one and a half tonnes on other days.

Biodegradable waste accounts for 56.77%-60%, non-biodegradable waste accounts for 36.62-37.53%, and medical or hazardous waste accounts for 2.82%-4.49%.

According to the report, more hospitals, clinics, and diagnostic centres in upazila headquarters or municipal areas lead to additional medical or hazardous waste.

Rural market based scientific and integrated waste management practices are yet to be implemented in Bangladesh. However, cleaning at the market level began much earlier. Market waste is cleared and dumped in open spaces or water bodies near the market, which eventually become a threat to the overall environment.

Mohaimena Sarmin, upazila executive officer at Nachole Upazila, said, "Lessees clean up the waste of rural bazaars. All of these wastes are dumped on khas land or in water bodies near markets. Although it is harmful to the environment, waste management is not developed in rural areas. Only upazila parishads monitor from time to time."

Rural sewage

Only 1.43% village houses do not have latrines, and the remaining 98.57% of households do not defecate in the open, but due to a lack of proper sewage management, most of the waste is accumulating in water bodies or open spaces.

According to the report, biowaste is generally easier to control in rural areas. However, biowaste is increasing rapidly in villages as well as in cities. Biowaste is unregulated in rural areas with high population density such as Dhaka, Narayanganj, Gazipur, and Cox's Bazar upazilas. Due to a lack of waste management, villages in these areas are more polluted than cities.

Unclean environment

According to the report, more than 75% of the waste generated in haat-bazaar is biowaste.

It is also said that 10,000 tonnes of methane gas are released into the atmosphere every day from the wastes of the city and village markets. As a result, the temperature of the atmosphere is increasing. Due to waste, there are new and serious diseases, including skin diseases.

Policy for rural waste management in the government

Rural waste management has been given importance in government policies, guidelines, or planning documents prepared at various times. But they have no enforcement yet.

Section 10 of the Solid Waste Management Rules 2021, for example, mentions upazilas and union parishads' waste management responsibilities.

According to this rule, the waste generator will accumulate waste in three bins. It is the responsibility of the upazila and union parishads concerned to ensure this.

Md Azgar Ali, Upazila executive officer at Lohagara Upazila, Narail, said, "The government has various laws regarding waste management. But there is no enforcement.

"Sometimes awareness activities are taken up. Waste management is discussed in various meetings. But there is no such thing as waste management in rural areas."

Proposals for infrastructure development

In the survey report, it has been proposed to set up waste management plants along with villages surrounding municipalities and upazila headquarters. Furthermore, it has been suggested that a waste management plant be built for every 300–400 houses.

According to the report, it should be ensured that defecation cannot be done in the open or that toilet water does not go into water bodies.

Setting up household or community-based small plants for bio-fertiliser production has been proposed.

Bins of different colours would be provided to every house for the collection of biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste. Union parishes will collect plastic waste every 15 days or every month. Similarly, door-to-door collection of medical waste has also been proposed.

Dustbins with three separate compartments will be installed in bazaars. Depending on the type or size of the market, butcheries and poultry waste-based biogas plants, compost plants, plastic waste processing plants, incinerators for hazardous waste disposal, and small-scale landfills will be set up. The drainage system will also be improved.

Plastic and medical waste will be disposed of at open haat-bazaar plants or sent to a nearby centre. Public toilets with soakaway septic tanks will be installed in bazaars.

Initiatives to turn waste into resources

The report emphasises turning waste into resources. The LGED has already started experimental road construction by mixing non-recyclable thin polyethylene waste with bitumen like India.

Waste polythene, which has no reuse value, costs Tk27 per kg to get it from landfill to usable. As a result, the construction cost of the road will be reduced, LGED officials said.  

Abu Mohammad Shahriar, superintending engineer of LGED, said, "If construction starts with bitumen mixed with plastic, roads will be sustainable and plastic waste will not be left lying anywhere in the country. It will also create employment."

According to the report, it is possible to use waste plastic to make various paving blocks such as tiles, partition boards, table tops, bricks, rings for rural pit latrines, and various types of souvenirs. These products are already being produced experimentally in Bangladesh.

Monzur Sadeque said under the pilot project, initiatives will be taken to create entrepreneurs at the upazila level to produce various types of products from waste plastic. 

According to a study by the private research organisation Waste Concern, Bangladesh generates 8,21,250 tonnes of plastic waste every year. Of this, only 5,27,425 tonnes are recycled. Although there are about 300 plastic recycling factories in Bangladesh, only half are being recycled.