The Tk 13.3 crore study will cover around 360 square kilometres area under the Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) and new urban areas. It will be completed in 14 months.

The study will be conducted on household, industrial and medical wastes to chart planning for collection, transportation and disposal of solid wastes by 2015.

It will also help develop capacity of agencies responsible for solid waste management, raise awareness of stakeholders and facilitate coordination among the DCC, NGOs and the community committees.

Dr. Katsuhhide Nagayama, leader of the study team, briefed the team members on the objectives of the study at a meeting with the advisory committee.

Dr. Mitsuo Yoshida, senior advisor, Institute for International Cooperation of JICA, Kihachiro Urushibata, Dr. Akinori Satoh, Naoki Haran and Akio Ishii attended the meeting at the Jica office in Dhaka.

Among the advisors, Dr. Mizanur Rahman Shelley and Prof. Matiur Rahman and Ashraful Alam Sarkar of Dhaka Urban Transport Project were also present.

The advisors suggested involving public representatives, social workers and organisations while formulating the plan for a sustainable and scientific management of solid waste.

At present, the solid waste management is not well organised and all the solid waste remains unutilised although it has a high organic content, they said.

And there is no proper mechanism for management of hazardous medical wastes.

Everyday the city is generating about 5000 tons of solid waste. Only 42 per cent of them are collected by the DCC men while the rest littered on the streets or other places.

A DCC team comprising engineers and officials will assist the JICA study team in preparing the master plan.