Municipal Waste Dumped into Sugandha River
Jhalakathi and Nalchity municipalities have been accused of regularly dumping waste along the banks of the Sugandha River, raising concerns among local residents about environmental pollution and the possible contamination of river water.
Recently, piles of waste have been found at several locations along the riverbank, including beside the Meghna Oil Depot in Jhalakathi town and in the Kalbari area of Nalchity municipality. The waste includes household rubbish, polythene, plastic bottles, food scraps and other refuse. As the waste decomposes, it spreads a foul smell across nearby areas.
Local residents said large quantities of waste are collected daily from homes, markets and businesses in the municipal areas. However, some of it is dumped along the riverbank instead of being taken to designated disposal sites. Rainwater and high tides then carry part of the waste into the river.
H M Caesar, a resident of Nalchity municipality, said municipal waste was being dumped along the Sugandha River in the Kalbari area. This was causing environmental pollution and spreading a foul smell. He added that waste was also entering the river during high tides.
“A designated site is needed for waste management,” he said.
Mahbub Hossain Saikat, a resident of Jhalakathi municipal town, said the waste dumped beside the river caused a persistent foul smell. During rainfall, the rubbish mixed with water and flowed into the river. He called for an immediate end to the practice.
Ismail Musafir, general secretary of the Jhalakathi Trees, Plants, Rivers and Waterways Protection Movement and SUJAN, said the number of sanitation workers responsible for collecting and disposing of the daily waste generated in Jhalakathi and Nalchity was insufficient in practice.
He alleged that both municipalities were dumping their waste along the Sugandha River. Leachate from the decomposing waste was seeping into groundwater, while tides and rainfall were carrying pollutants into nearby farmland, rivers and canals. Burning waste also polluted the air, he added.
“No civilised country dumps waste along riverbanks in this way,” he said.
He said a significant portion of municipal revenue budgets should be allocated to waste management. Effective measures must be taken to stop the dumping of waste along roadsides and riverbanks under cover of darkness.
He added that establishing modern waste management facilities as soon as possible would allow waste to be processed or recycled, offering a sustainable solution.
Environmental site clearance and an environmental clearance certificate have been obtained from the Department of Environment for a modern waste management unit in Kunihari, Jhalakathi. However, land acquisition has yet to be completed. Similar initiatives are also needed in Nalchity municipality.
Several attempts were made to contact Nalchity Municipal Administrator Pratik Kumar Kundu by phone, but he did not answer. Therefore, his comments could not be obtained.
Jhalakathi Municipal Administrator Julia Sukayna said the municipality previously had no dumping station but had now arranged a designated waste disposal facility. She said necessary measures would be taken to prevent waste from being dumped along the riverbank.
Jhalakathi Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Momin Uddin said municipal administrators had already been instructed not to dump waste along riverbanks and to arrange alternative disposal facilities.
“If waste continues to be dumped into the river despite these instructions, the matter will be taken seriously,” he said.
