Ctg mayor dreams of clean and green city

SHAMSUDDIN ILLIUS, Ctg

In a bid to turn Chittagong city into a green and clean city within the next three years, Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) has decided to start door-to-door collection of garbage.

“Following the success garbage collection at night, we are looking at 100 percent waste management,” said the city mayor.

“In the first phase, we will launch the program with collection of household waste going door-to-door in six out of 41 wards. Our sanitation workers will collect garbage from every home at night,” explained the mayor.

Starting next week, CCC will start the drive at Chandgaon, West Sholoshahar, Shulokbahar, Alkaron , Zamal Khan and Enayet Bazar Wards. “Our main target is to turn Chittagong into a clean city, through our drive,” the mayor said optimistically.  In the meantime, we have evicted 100 percent billboards from the city and freed the skyline of Chittagong, he informed.

“We will advertise our campaign through the local newspaper and announcements on loud speakers and hope residents will help us in our mission,” stated the city mayor. “We hope residents will come forward to help us achieve our target,” said AJM Nasir Uddin.

“After success in the first phase, we plan to remove dustbins from the city gradually, so that no garbage or waste is deposited here. As a result,  the city will be free from waste as well as dustbins,” said AJM Nasir Uddin. “As seen in developed countries, we will set up small dustbins in parks and public spaces for residents,” informed the mayor.

“We are planning  to develop dumping grounds; we are thinking of how we can use the waste,” he said, throwing light on future plans. To make clean city  in September 01, 2015, CCC had 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 to deposit their garbage in specific containers between7:00 -11:00 pm.

The CCC employee will collect garbage from houses as well as from the dump houses every night. Currently, CCC authorities only collect household garbage from dump houses. 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. Currently 1,873 sanitation workers are employed in lifting the garbage through 100 mini trucks and 13 container carriers from 93 containers and 1,300 concrete dustbins set up all over the city, revealed Shafiqul Mannan Siddiqui, Chief Conservancy Officer, CCC. Currently, there are two dumping grounds in the city, at Halishahar and Arefin Nagar.  AJM Nasir remarked that most  residents tend to dump garbage in the drains, which has led to clogging, hindering the flow of rain water and causing water logging. He also infirmed that excavation work at all city canals has begun and will continue till there are

satisfactory results.