Mirsarai to house industrial waste disposal facility, feasibility in February

Infographic: TBS

Highlights

• Ship Recycling Act 2018, which required a TSDF in three years 
• In late 2022, 20 acres in Sitakunda were selected for TSDF
• Local opposition, environmental concerns led to suspension in 2024
• A new site in Mirsarai EZ is selected
• Progress resumes after a 27 Jan 2025 visit by JICA, ministry officials
• JICA assessing new site
• Construction may finish by 2028 or mid-2029
• TSDF crucial for shipbreaking industry  

After years of delays, the government has taken a significant step toward resolving the country's hazardous industrial waste management crisis by allocating land for the Treatment, Storage and Disposal Facility (TSDF).

In the first week of January, the Bangladesh Economic Zone Authority (BEZA) designated a plot in Block 24 of the Mirsarai Economic Zone to establish a TDSF for industrial hazardous waste, particularly from the shipbreaking industry, the first of its kind in Bangladesh. 

Sultana Yasmin, joint secretary of the Ministry of Industries' Ship Recycling Sub-Division and project director of TSDF, confirmed the development to The Business Standard after a site visit with a Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) delegation on 27 January.

This initiative aims to fulfill a government directive issued in light of the Bangladesh Ship Recycling Act 2018, which required a TSDF within three years. However, seven years later, construction has yet to begin due to repeated delays.

The TSDF will function as a centralized facility, initially catering to the ship recycling yards in Chattogram and later extending to other industries in the region, ensuring the safe and environmentally responsible disposal of hazardous wastes.

Project gains new momentum

Initially, in late 2022, the Ministry of Industries identified 20 acres of land in Sitakunda, Chattogram, for the TSDF and conducted a feasibility study with JICA's financial support. However, local opposition and concerns from the Department of Forest over its proximity to the Sitakunda Botanical Garden and Eco Park led to the project's suspension in 2024.

Authorities then selected a new site in the Mirsarai Economic Zone, but the progress stalled until 27 January, when a JICA delegation and Ministry of Industries officials visited the proposed site, renewing optimism about the project.

"We visited the plot with JICA's expert team, and they are satisfied with the location," Sultana Yasmin said. "They will now conduct a fresh feasibility study, which will clarify the required funds and construction timeline."

JICA expert Okamoto Akira confirmed that the study will begin in late February 2025 and take about a year. "Once the Development Project Proposal (DPP) is approved, construction will take two years. If all goes as planned, the TSDF should be operational by late 2028 or mid-2029," he stated.

Environmental and Industrial Imperatives

A TSDF is a facility designed to manage hazardous waste through three key processes: treatment, where the waste's composition is altered to reduce its danger or enable reuse; storage, which involves temporarily holding the waste in secure containers until it can be treated or disposed of; and disposal, where the waste is permanently contained, typically in a specially constructed landfill to prevent environmental contamination. 

These facilities are crucial for ensuring hazardous waste is handled safely and responsibly.

In Bangladesh, the lack of a fully functional TSDF has led to severe environmental damage, with industries, including Chattogram's shipbreaking yards, continuing to dump hazardous waste directly into the environment.

According to a 2016 United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) study, Bangladesh's shipbreaking industry alone produces 5,900 tonnes of incinerable waste and 8,900 tonnes of landfillable waste annually. Other industries in Chattogram generate an alarming 68,600 tonnes of toxic waste each year.

A 2010 World Bank study warned that without a TSDF, Sitakunda's coastal belt could accumulate 79,000 tonnes of asbestos, 240,000 tonnes of PCBs, 1,978,000 tonnes of organic liquid waste, 775 tonnes of inorganic waste, and 210,000 tonnes of ozone-depleting substances by 2030.

A TSDF is essential for managing hazardous waste, including industrial by-products, medical waste and e-waste. Given their corrosive, reactive and toxic nature, these materials require specialized treatment to prevent environmental degradation.

Urgent need for TSDF

Bangladesh is a global leader in shipbreaking, dismantling 40–50% of the world's decommissioned ocean-going vessels over the past two decades. 

However, the absence of a dedicated waste treatment facility poses a growing challenge in meeting international environmental standards.

Zahirul Islam Rinku, vice president of the Bangladesh Ship Breakers and Recyclers Association, emphasised the urgency of completing the TSDF. 

"Under the Hong Kong International Convention (HKC), hazardous materials from ships must be safely disposed of in a TSDF. Since we lack such a facility, we are temporarily storing hazardous waste within the yards, but space is running out."

"Within a year or two, these storage areas will reach their capacity, making HKC compliance increasingly difficult," Rinku warned.

He urged the government to expedite the TSDF project to ensure the industry's environmental sustainability and prevent hazardous waste mismanagement.

With renewed support from JICA, stakeholders are optimistic that the project will move forward without further delays.