A DEPLORABLE failure of urban waste governance has left large parts of southern Dhaka cloaked in toxic smoke for more than two weeks, as a fire at the Matuail landfill continues to spread palls of toxic smoke across densely populated neighbourhoods such as Jurain, Jatrabari, Sayedabad and Maniknagar. The Dhaka South City Corporation, which operates the landfill, has claimed it did not know about the cause of the fire. Officials blamed waste pickers for possibly causing it, but this vague explanation does not account for how the fire has continued for so long. The scale and duration of the incident 鈥� causing respiratory distress, persistent coughing and eye irritation among thousands of residents 鈥� suggest far more than a chance occurrence. The fire service was called more than once, yet the flames were never fully extinguished. The Department of Environment, meanwhile, admitted to being unaware of the fire and the consequent pollution, even as residents reported deteriorating air quality for over two weeks. That such a hazardous event could unfold for over two weeks reflects institutional apathy and a troubling erosion of accountability in environmental oversight.
The incident lays bare the chronic mismanagement embedded in Dhaka鈥檚 waste disposal systems. Experts have rightly warned that smoke from landfill fires, which often contain plastic and chemical residues, is significantly more hazardous than biomass burning, and yet such fires are not uncommon, in part due to the absence of proper waste handling protocols. City authorities have historically resorted to waste burning as a crude volume reduction strategy, a practice officially denied in this instance but not ruled out by observers. The broader issue lies in the reliance on open dumping without adequate safeguards. The Matuail landfill, in operation since 1995, still lacks critical infrastructure for waste segregation, methane capture and fire prevention. A Canadian emission-tracking company reported the site releases four tonnes of methane per hour 鈥� an alarming figure city authorities dismissed without providing evidence. That residents several kilometres away are reporting severe discomfort highlights not only the health impacts of such environmental neglect but also the urgent need for a structural overhaul in landfill management, monitoring and response protocols. Modern waste management requires systems for waste segregation at the source, controlled landfills with fire prevention infrastructure and monitoring systems to detect early problems. Investment in waste-to-energy technologies, with strict regulatory oversight, could mitigate both landfill fires and methane emissions while reducing the waste burden.
Authorities should, therefore, urgently shrug off the reactive, short-term approach to waste management and invest in preventive, systemic solutions. Fire prevention mechanisms, regular monitoring and environmentally sound landfill operations are imperative to protect both the environment and public health. Regulatory agencies should demonstrate accountability in the face of such incidents.