Field Experience on the Daily Operation of a Pilot Scale Sanitary Landfill in Bangladesh

Abstract

The current disposal system of Bangladesh is not conducted in an environmentally sound manner and thus it leaves various environmental problems for the authorities to deal with. The authorities are eagerly looking for a solution to solve the piling up solid waste related problems such as negative environmental impacts, land scarcity and increasing solid waste. Even though various alternative methods have been identified but they are not economically and socially viable. Sanitary landfill is still the most cost-effective and appropriate method for waste disposal. This thesis represents the findings of appropriation of sanitary landfill in Least Developed Countries (LDCs) like Bangladesh of its geo-environmental conditions the operational studies of Pilot Scale Sanitary Landfill (PSSL) at Rajbandh, Khulna, the ultimate disposal site (UDS) of Khulna City Corporation (KCC). The construction process of PSSL that applied in this site is very simple but technically compatible design is considered to use local building materials and to avoid any imported or expensive materials such as any kind of geosynthetics. The available indigenous approach mostly manual labor where female participant was viewed a focus of 70% intensive was employed to complete the construction of landfill. During 14 months landfill operation 11790 tonnes of waste was deposited in the landfill cell and a huge amount of leachate about 7 million liters was generated due to heavy monsoon rain which hampered smoothly operation of landfill. It was planned that the period of landfilling was six months by 50 tonne/day but due to the climate condition only 28 tonne/day of waste was possible to fill in the PSSL. For more development of PSSL, it has required further study.