Despite multiple efforts to manage Dhaka’s vast waste, the city’s network of secondary transfer stations (STS) has become a major cause of foul odours, air pollution, and public health concerns. These transfer points, designed to temporarily hold household trash before it reaches distant landfills, are often mislocated and poorly managed. Instead of reducing pollution, they frequently expose nearby residents, students, and pedestrians to unbearable smells and environmental hazards. The transfer stations are set up under flyovers, beside schools, hospitals, and parks. Local residents report that during the day, vans filled with household waste are parked outside these stations, often overflowing onto the road. In many cases, garbage is dumped in front of the facilities instead of being stored properly, resulting in a stench that makes walking nearby nearly impossible. People have described feeling nauseated and unable to keep windows open in adjacent homes and offices. One child was seen sprinting past a station just to escape the foul odour. Such incidents have become routine at multiple sites across both the northern and southern zones of the city. Although Dhaka North and South together manage 119 transfer stations, most were built without proper space planning. Authorities admitted that these stations were constructed on available land, with little regard to location. As a result, many are positioned on busy roads, obstructing traffic and impeding pedestrian access. These stations often encroach on footpaths and remain operational even in sensitive areas such as hospital gates and school entrances. Their misplacement contributes to severe air pollution, traffic congestion, and an unsanitary local environment. Waste is loaded into these sites by rickshaw vans during the day and then transferred at night to distant landfills. However, the daytime queues of vehicles cause lingering odours and unsightly scenes. A shortage of licensed drivers and cleaning staff worsens these problems. At times, waste turns into leachate puddles on the road, which further degrades air quality and creates slipping hazards. Furthermore, mismanaged waste in Dhaka is burned at landfills like Aminbazar and Matuail, releasing toxic fumes such as carbon monoxide, methane, sulfur compounds, and dioxins. These emissions worsen respiratory conditions, with air quality readings in winter reaching hazardous levels. Health experts link these toxins to asthma, heart disease, and long-term lung damage, especially among children and the elderly. Water pollution is another issue, as many landfills lack proper liners. Toxic leachate seeps into soil and groundwater, contaminating crops and posing long-term risks. Elevated levels of heavy metals found near landfill sites are linked to various chronic illnesses. Resolving these issues will require integrated planning, proper station siting, better staffing, modern landfill engineering, and increased public awareness. Experts emphasize that immediate reforms are essential to restore environmental quality and public well-being.
