Lack of Dumping Site Forces Kishoreganj Municipality to Dump Waste on Open Streets
Photo Collected
Sixty-eight years after its inception, the first-class municipality of Bhairab, Kishoreganj, continues to grapple with a critical infrastructure failure: the absence of a permanent waste management facility. With a population exceeding 200,000, the city generates roughly 30 tons of waste daily, which is currently being dumped in open areas, including along major thoroughfares and near public infrastructure.
The persistent accumulation of refuse has created severe environmental and public health hazards. Residents, students, and commuters are forced to navigate environments choked by the stench of decaying waste, which has become a breeding ground for pests and vectors. According to Dr. Kishore Kumar Dhar, the Bhairab Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer, the lack of controlled disposal exposes the population to significant risks, including the spread of cholera, dysentery, and typhoid as insects and stray animals carry pathogens from the waste sites into residential areas and food sources.
বিজ্ঞাপন
Municipal records indicate that the crisis is not for a lack of planning. Several years ago, the Local Government Ministry approved a project to construct a dumping station in the Kalikaprasad area with an allocated budget of approximately 60 million taka. However, the project stalled when local residents vehemently opposed the site selection. Similar efforts at other proposed locations have been consistently thwarted by local resistance.
The impact of this stalemate is visible across the city. Major areas, including the Station Road, the Zillur Rahman City Protection Dam, and the vicinity of key bridges, have been transformed into makeshift landfills. At one site near Station Road, a government-owned pond has been nearly buried under layers of garbage, rendering the surrounding area virtually uninhabitable. Municipal sanitation workers, caught in the middle of this impasse, report facing public harassment while attempting to dispose of waste in the only areas available to them.
বিজ্ঞাপন
The municipal administration acknowledges the severity of the situation, noting that public demand for a clean city often conflicts with the “not in my backyard” sentiment that blocks facility construction. Educational institutions located near these dumps, such as The North South School and Primary Education, have reported filing numerous formal complaints and organizing protests, yet have seen little progress.
In response to the mounting pressure, the Local Government Ministry has recently directed district administrators to assist municipalities by leasing government-owned land for waste management projects. Bhairab’s administration is currently scouting for new potential sites under this directive. Upazila Nirbhari Officer K.M. Mamunur Rashid emphasized that while the municipal authority remains committed to resolving the crisis, a sustainable solution remains elusive without active cooperation from the community, warning that without a change in public perception, the city’s waste will remain a permanent fixture on its roadsides.
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