Manpower shortage hits bid to keep Ctg city clean

Manpower shortage hits bid to keep Ctg city clean

Even as manpower and equipment constraints have hindered the sanitation efforts of the Chittagong City Corporation (CCC), the authorities concerned have vowed to clear the city of  waste and garbage during night hours in an attempt to restore the lost reputation of what was once considered a beautiful and healthy city. The CCC has also launched awareness campaigns through the local print media apart from involving educational and religious institutions in its efforts to educate the residents of the city. The newly elected mayor, AJM Nasir Uddin, urged the residents to deposit their garbage in specific containers between 7:00 -11:00 pm from today onwards. The sanitation workers will collect the garbage between 10:00 pm – 6:00 am. At least 10 mobile containers will collect garbage from different parts of the city from today.

He also warns the residents that if anyone fails to deposit their garbage in the specified dustbins within the fixed time, they might be even fined by a mobile court. Currently, the sanitation department of the CCC suffers from manpower and equipment constraints.

According to the data provided by the department, the Chittagong city has a population of about 60 lakh people, who on an average produce 1,200-1,500 tonne of garbage everyday day.

The corporation can handle 1,000-1,100 tonne of garbage with its existing manpower and equipment. Rest of the garbage is collected by about 8,000 street children commonly known as ‘tokai’. There are a total of 93 containers and 1,300 concrete dustbins set up all over the city.

To clear the garbage deposited in the dustbins and containers, the department has 100 mini trucks, 13 container carriers and 1,873 sanitation workers. Admitting to the crisis of manpower and equipment, Shafiqul Mannan Siddiqui, Chief Conservancy Officer, CCC, told The Independent, “Our existing manpower is not enough to deal with the amount of garbage generated by the city’s 60 lakh population. We need more trucks, containers and conservancy workers to perform the job properly.”
The corporation sources also informed that they need at least 150-200 trucks, 30-35 container carriers and at least 5,000 sanitation workers to clean the garbage in the eight hours from 10:00 pm to 6:00am. There are two dumping grounds in the city in Halishahar and Arefin Nagar.

“Most of the residents dump their household waste throughout the day, which causes a serious health hazard.  To carry waste during the daytime leads to traffic jams,” said AJM Nasir Uddin.
He also said that most of the residents dump garbage in the drains, which has led to clogging, hindering the flow of rain water and causing problems of water logging in the city.

“I hope by December 2015, we will achieve 100 percent success in waste management. With the help of city dwellers we can make Chittagong beautiful and clean once again,” said Nasir. It’s not possible to keep the city clean unless residents become aware of proper waste management.