140 tonnes plastic waste in Ctg city littered in environment daily

Over 87 lakh people living in the Chattogram Metropolitan area generate 300 tonnes of wastes every day, of which 249 tonnes are plastic trashes, according to a study.

About 56% (140 tonnes) of the plastic garbages remain uncollected and littered in the environment, filling up the drains and canals of the city, it says.

The study findings were disseminated at a press conference organised by Civil Engineering Department of Chattogram University of Engineering and Technology (CUET) and Bangladesh Paribesh Forum on Saturday at Chattogram Press Club.

The study has found that 30% people reuse plastic polythene while 46% never reuse and 11% reuse it occasionally.

If plastic polythene is mixed with bitumen used for road carpeting, environment pollution will reduce by 5% to 10% along with reduced cost. The cost of per kilometre road carpeting will reduce by Tk2.75 lakh and the durability will be doubled.   

CUET students Engineer Piyal Barua and Engineer Al Amin conducted the study for the last one year under the supervision of Swapan Kumar Palit, professor of the Civil Engineering Department of CUET. 

The study was carried out in 15 wards including Baklia, Chandgao, Muradpur, Chawkbazar, Khatunganj, Agrabad and CEPZ areas with support of Bangladesh Paribesh Forum.

The study says plastic pollution has been incaresing due to abrupt littering, inadequate waste bin, lack of legal action, plastic burning, indesolluable nature of plastic and increase in population.    

It says waterlogging, water pollution, foul-smelling weather, garbage stacked by the roadside and public health problems are on the rise due to plastic polythene. 

Plastic polythene is also destroying fish in the rivers and sea.

Microplastic causes cancer, infertlity and autism, it adds.