On Dhaka’s northern edge in Savar, Aminbazar landfill has become a towering symbol of the city’s growing waste crisis. Once designed as a temporary solution, the site has long exceeded its capacity, yet garbage continues to accumulate year after year. The expanding waste mounds now pose threat to the environment and health hazards to nearby residents.
Waste beyond capacity
Established in 2009 on approximately 52 acres of land, Aminbazar landfill was initially intended as a temporary solution for Dhaka’s waste management. The city corporation later acquired an additional 50 acres of land, bringing the total area to 102 acres. The landfill was expected to reach full capacity by 2017, but waste disposal has continued, with record volumes added in recent years.
Currently, more than 500 garbage trucks enter the site daily, depositing around 2,500–3,000 tons of waste. The waste piles have now reached nearly 80 feet high—roughly equivalent to a seven-story building—far exceeding the recommended safety height of 50–60 feet. With the planned waste-to-energy project yet to be implemented and available space rapidly shrinking, the mounds continue to grow, increasing environmental and safety risks.
The excessive height of the waste piles has also led to accidents involving garbage trucks. Truck drivers report slipping and losing control while navigating the steep and unstable slopes. Despite repeated assurances of improvement, recent observations suggest that little progress has been made in addressing the landfill’s worsening condition.
Pollution and Health Hazards
The landfill produces large quantities of methane gas, and local residents claim that fires are sometimes deliberately set to reduce the height of the waste piles. On-site inspections reveal multiple burning spots, sending dense black smoke into nearby areas. The sharp odor of burning plastic makes prolonged exposure difficult.
Research conducted by the Department of Environmental Science at Jahangirnagar University indicates that Aminbazar and Matuail landfills together release nearly 50,000 tons of methane gas each year. Other pollutants—including carbon monoxide, hydrogen cyanide, benzopyrene, microplastics, and toxic leachate—also contaminate the surrounding soil and groundwater.
Professor Mostafizur Rahman said, “Leachate mixes with the soil, polluting farmlands and groundwater. Consuming crops grown in such conditions can pose serious long-term health risks, including cancer and other diseases.”
Environmental expert Professor Shafi Mohammad Tarek said, “Methane and other airborne pollutants from Aminbazar contribute significantly to air pollution. Recent observations indicate that pollution levels have risen, making daily activities difficult for local residents. Without proper control measures, the landfill will remain a long-term threat to both public health and the environment.”
Impact on local communities
Residents of Aminbazar and Baliyarpur say that smoke and foul odors from the landfill severely disrupt their daily lives.
Arif Rahman, a resident of Baliyarpur, said, “Passing through this area every day is extremely uncomfortable. The strong smell makes it unbearable. I can no longer fish or farm as I used to.”
Auto-rickshaw driver Zainal said, “The smoke is so thick that we have to cover our nose and mouth while driving. Breathing becomes difficult, and sometimes garbage even falls onto the road.”
Landfill power plan remains in limbo
The Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) has proposed a waste-to-energy project to help address the mounting crisis. However, the project has yet to begin due to pending final approval from the Department of Environment.
DNCC Administrator Md Shafiqul Islam Khan said that preparations for generating electricity from landfill waste have already been completed. “Once approval is granted, we expect electricity production to begin within one and a half to two years,” he said.
Responding to journalists’ questions about the burning waste, the administrator denied that garbage is intentionally set on fire. He suggested that visible smoke may result from spontaneous combustion caused by methane gas emissions from the waste piles.
Environmental experts warn that the current condition of Aminbazar landfill reflects a major challenge for DNCC’s waste management system. They stress that the situation must be brought under control quickly through the use of modern waste treatment technologies.
