The Naogaon Municipality’s sanitary landfill and waste treatment plant, constructed for Tk12 crore, cannot be inaugurated due to design flaws.
Although the construction of the facility was completed in April 2022, more than three years have passed, and the plant remains non-operational.
As a result, municipal waste continues to be dumped in the open adjacent to the landfill, causing environmental pollution and posing health risks to nearby residents.
Municipal authorities said that the project could not be operationalized because the design lacks mechanisms to separate biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste.
Furthermore, the site has yet to receive an electrical connection. The delay has raised concerns that the installed machinery may deteriorate over time.
The project is located in Ward-1 of Naogaon, in the Komaigari area, adjacent to the Degree Morh bypass road.
Even before the construction of the facility, waste from city households was dumped at this location.
Due to the project’s non-operation, waste continues to be disposed of in the open next to the landfill, creating foul odors and polluting the surrounding environment.
According to sources in the office of the executive engineer of Naogaon Municipality, the project was initiated in 2018 under the Third City Governance and Infrastructure Improvement Project (UCGIIP-3) to address unplanned waste disposal and odor problems across the city.
The municipal authority invited tenders on 30 November 2020, and after selection, the contract was awarded to Messrs Khan Builders-Ethen Enterprise on 13 April 2021.
The project’s estimated cost was Tk11.75 crore, and it was scheduled for completion by 12 April 2022.
However, the contractor handed over the project in August 2022, and the municipal authority has still not inaugurated it.
The delay has created a risk of damage to the installed machinery. If operational, the environmentally friendly facility could produce organic fertilizer from household waste.
A site visit to the Komaigari area shows that household waste continues to be dumped in the open next to the landfill, with several workers observed managing the waste. During the landfill’s construction, waste from the Baludanga Bus Stand area was being disposed of there.
Even after the landfill’s completion, waste continued to be dumped in Baludanga until residents pressured authorities to shift the site back to Komaigari.
Foisal, a resident of the Komaigari area, said: “The modern waste treatment plant was constructed to protect the environment from landfill pollution, but for some unknown reason, the municipal authority has not yet inaugurated it. Construction was completed three years ago, yet waste continues to be dumped in the open, causing foul odors and environmental pollution. The municipal authority should operationalize this facility as soon as possible.”
Sajjad Hossain, executive engineer of Naogaon Municipality, told Jaijaidin: “A major flaw was discovered after project completion. Since such projects are new, we had limited technical knowledge regarding their design. The current design lacks a mechanical system to separate biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste. Implementing such a system requires new infrastructure. A Tk20 crore project proposal has already been submitted to the Ministry of Local Government. Once approved, tenders will be invited, a contractor selected, and work commenced. However, it is not yet possible to predict when the project will be operational.”
