Cleaners to work in two shifts: DNCC Administrator

Sanitation workers will now work in two shifts—day and night—across 10 zones of Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) to make the capital cleaner and more liveable, the corporation's administrator said on Friday, June 12.

DNCC Administrator Md Shafiqul Islam Khan made the announcement at a meeting, stating that open tender processes are already underway to strengthen cleaning activities in 26 wards.

Initiatives have also been taken to bring the traditional van services used for household waste removal under city corporation management, he added.

Quick Response Teams (QRT) and mobile teams have been formed to promptly remove waste from major roads. Officials have been instructed through regular monitoring to ensure that waste does not accumulate anywhere.

The administrator said steps are being taken to procure new machinery alongside ensuring 100 per cent utilisation of existing waste management vehicles. The collection of modern compactors, hook-lift trucks and other waste management vehicles will make the waste removal system faster, more modern and efficient, he said.

A pilot project has distributed 500 plastic bins—250 green and 250 yellow—under the corporation's own management to encourage waste segregation and proper collection. Additionally, 50,000 polybags have been distributed.

A modern, environmentally-friendly waste management system will be established under the Aminbazar landfill expansion and modernisation project through waste-to-energy power generation. The project plans to generate up to 42.5 megawatts of electricity using approximately 3,000 tonnes of solid waste per day.

The administrator called upon city residents not to dump waste haphazardly anywhere except designated spots, stressing that a clean and green Dhaka can only be achieved through collective effort and cooperation.