JICA plans Tk120cr grant for new landfill in Ctg

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is planning to provide a grant of around Tk120 crore to modernise waste management in Chattogram, including the construction of a modern sanitary landfill and the supply of more than 50 waste collection vehicles and landfill equipment.

The proposed grant and technical support are expected to strengthen the Chattogram City Corporation's (CCC) capacity to collect, transport and manage waste.

The plans were discussed at a meeting between a JICA delegation and CCC Administrator Dr Shahadat Hossain at the Nagar Bhaban on Wednesday.

The meeting was told that the Japanese government had approved a feasibility study for the proposed grant project. A team of experts from JICA headquarters is expected to visit Chattogram in December to conduct the study. A final decision on the project will be made based on its findings.

The meeting stressed the need to build a new sanitary landfill to ensure sustainable waste management in the city.

CCC officials said 28 acres of land had already been acquired for the proposed landfill in Fateyabad Nandirhat, south of Chittagong University. The land comprises two plots- one measuring 18 acres and the other 10 acres.

JICA Bangladesh Senior Representative Hideki Osawa, said the agency's technical assistance team was working with the city corporation to prepare the design and bill of quantities (BoQ), with a view to speeding up the preparation of the Development Project Proposal (DPP) for the new landfill.

Dr Shahadat thanked JICA for its support and said the city corporation would provide all necessary assistance to complete the feasibility study successfully.

He also sought JICA's technical support to improve the management of existing landfill sites alongside the construction of the new one.

Modern infrastructure and the use of appropriate technology are essential to make the city's waste management system modern, environment-friendly and sustainable, he said.

CCC Chief Conservancy Officer Captain Shamim Mohammad Khan, Chief Engineer Md Anisur Rahman, JICA Bangladesh Programme Manager Md Abdullah Bin Hossain and members of the JICA expert team Takatoshi Arai, Hirofumi Miyoshi, Satoshi Higashinakagawa and engineer Golam Sarwar were present at the meeting.