World Environment Day
Plastic waste over a decade old on the banks of Buringanga
The presence of plastic deep inside the soil on banks of Buriganga has concerned experts.
Plastic is being found just by digging into the soil on the banks of Buriganga. Plastic os showing up even seven feet under the ground.
These plastics from the banks later sink to the river bed. It has been found that some of these plastics are even older than a decade. And these remained almost the same, unaltered.
Such images surfaced in an on-going study about the presence of plastic in the soil on Buriganga banks. The research is being done by Stamford University’s Centre for Atmospheric Pollution Studies (CAPS).
There is much discussion on plastic accumulated on the river beds as well floating on the rivers Buriganga, Balu, Turag, Dhaleshwari and Shitalakhya, the five rivers surrounding Dhaka.
The results of the study on the presence of plastic deep inside the soil of Buriganga banks have raised concerns among experts.
As much as 10 per cent of waste, generated in the country throughout the year comes from plastic materials. Out of that, 48 per cent reaches landfills, 37 per cent is recycled, 12 per cent makes its way into canals and rivers and 3 per cent falls into drains.
Today, 5 June is the World Environment Day. The theme of the day this year is #BeatPlasticPollution.
The use of plastic has been rising in the country. According to the World Bank report ‘Towards a Multispectral Action Plan for Sustainable Plastic Management in Bangladesh’ published in 2021, the country annual plastic use in urban areas rose from 3 kg per persons in 2005 to 9 kg in 2020.
The annual use of plastic per person in Dhaka has risen from 9kg to 24 kg in this time. As much as 10 per cent of waste, generated in the country throughout the year comes from plastic materials.
Out of that, 48 per cent reaches landfills, 37 per cent is recycled, 12 per cent makes its way into canals and rivers and 3 per cent falls into drains. Used polythene bags, wrappers and packets make up a large chunk of the plastic that ends up in the landfills.
This study is to find how much plastic is there in per tonne of soil on Buriganga banks, how deep down it goes or how high or low is the quantity.
Why the research
A portion of the plastic used in Dhaka is destined to reach Buriganga. Some believe, there’s a 10 to 12 feet layer of plastic at the bottom of Buriganga. But no accurate proof of that could be found.
This CAPS research in fact is aimed at finding the answer to what’s the actual level of plastic pollution in the river, said chairman of the organisation professor Ahmad Kamruzaman Majumder.
He told Prothom Alo Sunday, “This research is to find how much plastic is there in per tonne of soil on Buriganga banks, how deep does it go or how high or low is the quantity.”
The research started last May and will continue studying the presence of plastic in five rivers surrounding Dhaka including Buriganga. For this, soil will be collected from 100 spots on the banks of these five rivers.
Meanwhile, soil has already been collected from seven spots in Buriganga alone. The soil has been dug up to seven feet. And CAPS researchers have found presence of plastic on different soil levels till that depth.
Plastic decomposes somewhat faster if it lies on top of the land. But the significance of it being found deep inside the soil is that it will take much longer to decompose. This just ruins the process of groundwater recharge inside the soil. And that’s against the nature of the river.
How the research is done
The soil is passed through a strainer after being collected directly from the banks of Buriganga.
Minimum one tonne to maximum four and a half tonnes of soil is collected. The research also aimed at finding how old these plastic items are.
Professor Kamruzzaman Majumde said, “Carbon mapping could have been used to determine the age of those plastics. But, we didn’t use that. We found the manufacturing dates written on them.”
“We have seen some plastics that were produced back in 2010. That plastic decompose that much, nor did it get damaged,” he added.
This plastic from the river bank can mix into the river water by turning into micro-plastic. And the fish could consume that. If those fish are eaten by humans, plastic can enter their bodies too.
Impact on environment
From the bank the soil’s been collected in the study, usually gets submerged during high tide. And, it remains waterlogged for a long time during monsoon. So, these plastic finally recede to the river bottom.
Former professor at the civil engineering department of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) and a water expert Feroze Ahmed is calling this a reason of great concern indeed. He has done several researches on the pollution of Buriganga.
He told Prothom Alo, “Plastic decomposes somewhat faster if it lies on top of the land. But the significance of it being found deep inside the soil is that it will take much longer to decompose. This just ruins the process of groundwater recharge inside the soil. And that’s against the nature of the river..”
“This just ruins the process of groundwater recharge inside the soil. And that’s against the nature of the river,” he added.
Plastic can break into micro-plastic. Then it can usher in dire consequences by getting mixed into the human food chain, believes Harunor Rashid Khan, the chairman of soil, water and environment department at Dhaka University.
He said, “This plastic from the river bank can mix into the river water by turning into micro-plastic. And the fish could consume that. If those fish are eaten by humans, plastic can enter their bodies too.”
*This report originally appeared in the online and print versions of Prothom Alo and has been rewritten in English by Nourin Ahmed Monisha.