Solid Waste Management System in Pabna Municipality of Bangladesh: A Case Study

Abstract

The increasing quantity of solid waste is a growing environmental problem in many developing countries like Bangladesh. Solid waste is indiscriminately dumped on roadsides, near dustbins and into open drains thus leading to serious health risk and degradation of living environment for people of most cities like Pabna. This paper presents the existing solid waste management system of Pabna municipality. Primary data were collected from householders and waste workers through questionnaires and field visits to collection and disposal sites. Secondary data were collected from respective officials of conservancy department of Pabna municipality. Waste generation rate is noteworthy in Pabna municipality. About 27,478 tons of waste was generated in the year 2018 and about 45% (12,870 tons) of waste generated was collected and disposed by the Pabna Municipality Authority. Wastes are collected by the householders or waste collection workers from house to the nearest dustbins or collection sites such as New Market, Fire Service Road, Square Godown Mor, Jel Khana Mor, Mannan Miyar Goli, Khamar Bari, etc. and then transported to the disposal site Fakirpur. The rest of wastes is remained on roadsides or dustbins and into open drains indiscriminately due to shortage of manpower and waste collection and transport vehicles. These wastes are spread by scavenging birds and animals near dustbins or collection sites thus causing public health problems and environmental pollution. The waste disposal system is an open dumping, resulting water pollution, air pollution, soil pollution, noise pollution, etc. near the disposal site.