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OPEN GARBAGE DUMPING

A nuisance for Narsingdi townspeople
OUR CORRESPONDENT, Narsingdi
Regular dumping of waste materials in the open space almost everywhere in Narsingdi municipality is causing serious environment pollution and posing health hazard for the local residents.
Heap of garbage has been piled up in different areas of the municipality in absence of adequate cleanliness drive by the authorities concerned.
While roaming the municipality area, one can see piled up waste materials at the entrance of Narsingdi Municipality Office, adjacent to the New Bus Stand area.
Moreover, huge quantities of poultry waste from several unregistered poultry farms have added to the owes of the town dwellers.
Besides, the municipality dwellers have been living in utter discomfort due to establishment of several poultry farms in residential areas.
The bad odour coming from the poultry waste in badly hampering local environment and public health as well.
Local residents alleged that about 30 poultry farms dump waste materials in at least 18 spots of the municipality, making those places a breeding field for mosquitos.
Huge waste materials have been piled up in New Bus Station area, Dhaka-Sylhet Highway, Old Town Hall area, Aziz Boarding, at least five spots in Narsingdi Boro Bazar area, on the bank of a pond at Narsingdi Govt Women’s College, Battola Bazar, Shikka Chattar and even at a vacant filed near the Krishi Bank area, they said.
Narsingdi Municipality, established in 1972, was upgraded to a Grade I category in 1996.
According to the municipality office, currently at least 72 employees, both regular and temporary, engaged by the municipality collect about 35 to 36 tonnes of household wastes from different areas and dumped those in New Bus Station area regularly.
Rafik Mia, a rickshaw puller, said, “We have been suffering badly due to the bad odour emitting from the roadside garbage all the time.”
Housewife Shilpi Das of Shapla Chattar area, said she requested the authorities concerned on several occasions to remove the pile of garbage from near her house, but nothing has been done so far.
“We are compelled to live in such a worse environment condition as there is no other alternative,” Shilpi added.
Another Mahfuza Haque of the area said although she is paying Tk 100 every month, employees of the municipality collect the household waste and dump those only a few metres from her house.
While talking, another housewife Mahmuda Akter said she was assaulted by Salah Uddin, one of the poultry farm owners, and his men when she lodged a complaint with the municipality office regarding the mindless waste dumping in open space.
On the other hand, the situation is getting more worsen every day due to the outbreak of dengue.
According to Narsingdi Civil Surgeon Office, currently at least 118 dengue patients are undergoing treatment at different hospitals in Narsingdi, while the number of dengue infected patients are 2,494 since January this year.
Narsingdi Municipaliry Mayor Mohammad Amzad Hossain Bacchu said about 20 unprotected poultry farms located at different areas of the municipality are polluting the environment.
“Recently we have directed one of the poultry farms to stop its operation within a month,” the mayor said, adding that they have installed several garbage bins at different points of the municipality, but those are quite insufficient for thousands of local residents.