Clean Dhaka Master Plan


 The Master Plan is aiming to achieve proper waste collection, proper disposal, and waste reduction with recycling and incineration. The targeting year is 2032. The Clean Dhaka Master plan has been prepared for Dhaka North City Corporation and Dhaka South City Corporation respectively.

The Waste Management Department (WMD) of Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) has established in July 2008 in place of the conservancy department for improving Solid Waste Management (SWM). For waste collection improvement, the conventional collection methods were modified into more efficient ones as well as the institution of DCC for the waste collection was strengthened within the WMD. After the DCC established the system for SWM through the implementation of the first Clean Dhaka Master Plan (2005-2015). Dhaka City was administratively divided into two areas in 2011, and the DCC was also split into Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) and Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC). However, a serious issue remained in that the capacities of both existing landfills in DNCC and DSCC were only two years. and no location would be available for waste disposal in the near future.

The previous Master Plan (2005-2015) aimed to improve the SWM of Dhaka City based on social acceptability and technical capacity to achieve Clean Dhaka status. The main outcome during the seven-year period of the interim evaluation is summarized as follows:

  1. The SWM organization was strengthened by the establishment of the WMD and the introduction of the Ward Based Approach (WBA).
  2. The WMD Directives (2007-2012) were developed, and an administrative procedure book was drafted for enforcement of law and regulations.
  3. Community participation in SWM was encouraged through WBA 3, and Fixed-Time and Fixed-Place (FTFP) collection by compactors began with the support of the community. The FTFP collection contributed to closing crowded unsanitary containers and dustbins on the road. In addition, the new collection system was strengthened by introducing 35 new compactors in corporations with Primary Collection Service Providers (PCSPs).
  4. Matuail landfill site (LFS), which was initially an open dumping site, was improved as a sanitary landfill including a leachate treatment facility. A Landfill Management Unit (LMU) was organized for a successful landfill operation.

However, after the monitoring period and evaluation from 2014 to 2017, the progress of the Master Plan appeared to decrease, and several critical issues remained unresolved. For example, although the necessity of extending the lifespans of existing LFSS was known, no action was taken by DNCC to acquire new land nor to negotiate with surrounding cities to establish a regional treatment system. As a result, the need for this lifespan extension has become crucial.

Purpose of the Master Plan

In the first Master Plan, implementation of the proper waste collection was the first priority as it is the most fundamental step to be taken for public health toward proper waste management. Now, DNCC regularly operates waste collection and waste disposal for keeping people’s healthy living as well as environmental protection. The new Clean Dhaka Master Plan (2018-2032) is developed as a subsequent Master Plan to overcome critical issues such as overflow of waste by newly introducing waste treatment including waste reduction and 3Rs with an integrated waste management facility compound known as “Eco-Town (Waste-to-Energy (WtE), composting, recycling, etc.)” to seek sustainable society by resource management. Looking toward the future of DNCC, this new Master Plan essentially includes administrative public awareness, WBA dissemination, efficient and hygienic waste collection, and life extension of the existing LFSS. legal and institutional reform, stakeholder’s capacity development, and a newly introduced waste treatment system including waste reduction and 3Rs.

The Framework of Master Plan

Vision:

This new clean Dhaka Master Plan is designed for the next 15 years based on the vision envisaged for the next 30 years.

Environmentally Advance City with Integrated and Sustainable Solid Waste Management: toward Zero-Waste”

Slogan of Clean Dhaka Master Plan 2032

Goals:

Three goals to realize the vision of the Master Plan is set.

  1. The environmental impact caused by waste is mitigated with environmentally advanced technology.
  2. An integrated and sustainable SWM system in a megacity is established.
  3. Participatory SWM is promoted with the slogan of “Zero-Waste.”

Policies:

The Master Plan has seven policies for fulfilling the goals.

  1. A “Sanitary Landfill Site” is constructed to reduce Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions.
  2. Fiscal structure reform to large-scale investment is provided in the environmental infrastructure, including “Eco-Town.” Eco-Town: an intermediate treatment zone with various kinds of treatment facilities (WIE, biogas, composting, recycling, etc.)
  3. The WMD is reinforced to strengthen the administrative function of the “Megacity.”
  4. WBA is disseminated to boost the “Field-level activities” for consolidating cross-field activities.
  5. Waste reduction and 3R are promoted with a slogan of “Zero-Waste” for sustainable SWM.
  6. “Participatory solid waste management” is encouraged through public relations, public awareness, and public involvement.
  7. A sanitary collection system, such as “Fixed-time and Fixed-place” collection by compactors, is established in collaboration with the community.

The framework of the Master Plan is structured to illustrate a relationship between the abovementioned vision, goals, and policies.

Target:

In principle, appropriate solid waste management is accomplished by

(i) collecting more waste generated in households by increasing the collection capacity,

(ii) reducing waste by introducing waste separation and recycling, and

(iii) minimizing the volume of the remaining waste that goes to LFSS with intermediate treatment so that LFSS can be used longer.

This Master Plan highlights four indicators i.e. waste collection, waste reduction, recycling, and landfill disposal to quantitatively monitor the DNCC’s achievement in consideration of the framework toward the proper waste management. The targets toward 2032 are set for each indicator, based on the population and waste generation projections of the DNCC.