JICA to give around Tk 120 crore grant to modernise Chattogram's waste management

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is set to give a possible grant of around Tk 120 crore to modernise the waste management of Chattogram city.

Under the grant, there is a plan to supply more than 50 modern waste-carrying vehicles and the equipment needed to operate a landfill. Alongside, the agency will also cooperate in building a modern sanitary landfill in the city.

The information was given at a meeting between Chattogram City Corporation (CCC) administrator Dr Shahadat Hossen and a JICA delegation at Nagar Bhaban on Wednesday (November 4).

The meeting was informed that the Japanese government has approved a feasibility study of the proposed grant project. To that end, an expert team from JICA headquarters will come to Chattogram next December. A decision on the project's final approval will be taken based on the results of the feasibility study.

For building the new sanitary landfill, the CCC has already acquired 28 acres of land in the Fateyabad Nandirhat area south of the University of Chittagong. Of this, one plot has 18 acres and another adjacent plot has 10 acres.

JICA Bangladesh senior representative Hideki Osawa said experts of JICA's technical assistance team are working with the CCC on preparing the design and estimate (BOQ) with the aim of quickly preparing the development project proposal (DPP) for building the new sanitary landfill.

CCC administrator Dr Shahadat Hossen said, 'All necessary cooperation will be provided from the CCC to complete the upcoming feasibility study successfully.' Besides building the new landfill, he also sought JICA's technical cooperation in the management and development of the existing landfill sites.

Shahadat Hossen said, 'To make the city's waste management modern, environment-friendly and sustainable, the development of necessary infrastructure and the use of modern technology are extremely important.'

Present at the meeting were CCC chief conservancy officer Captain Shamim Mohammad Khan, chief engineer Md Anisur Rahman, JICA Bangladesh programme manager Md Abdullah Bin Hossen, and members of the JICA expert team Takatoshi Arai, Hirofumi Miyoshi, Satoshi Higashinakagawa and engineer Golam Sarwar.

If the proposed grant and technical cooperation are implemented, capacity in the collection, transport and management of waste in Chattogram city is expected to increase. At the same time, the initiative to build an environment-friendly city will also move forward.