Minister: Aminbazar waste-to-energy plant to be a game changer

Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka, which generates some 6,000 tons of garbage every day, is expected to see a sea change in garbage disposal once the country’s first proposed waste-energy plant in Aminbazar goes into operation.

“No garbage will be seen lying indiscriminately in the city once the proposed waste-energy plant in Aminbazar starts generating electricity. When the plant is set up, it’ll require 3,000 metric tons of garbage a day. If a power plant collects so much garbage, there’ll be no more waste everywhere in the city,” said Local Government, Rural Development (LGRD) and Cooperatives Minister Md Tazul Islam.

The LGRD minister made the remarks while visiting Aminbazar Dumping Station and Gabtoli Mechanical Workshop in Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC).

Describing the waste-to-energy plant as his dream project, Tazul Islam warned that no irregularity and corruption will be tolerated in the project.

He said a deal will be signed with a foreign firm to implement the electricity project. Though it is supposed to go on production within 18 months after signing the agreement, the firm seeks some more time.

So, the minister said, the project period will finally be fixed during the deal signing and the project will be implemented keeping the environment in special consideration.

The minister said an eco-park will also be constructed next to the Aminbazar power plant.

He said the Local Government Ministry has been working as per the plan adopted by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to clean up all the cities of the country, including the two city corporations of capital Dhaka, and this will help build a clean city soon.

Tazul Islam questioned why the hospitals in the capital do not have disposal plants of their own. If the hospitals had their own disposal plants, it would have been possible to dispose of medical wastes they are generating, he added.

After visiting the mechanical workshop, the minister told reporters that modern equipment will be procured to clean up the city.

He said all the illegally-occupied lands under the city corporations will be reclaimed as soon as possible.

DNCC Mayor Md Atiqul Islam and senior officials of the city corporation were present, according to a hand-out.