Locals complain of littering at Sittwe’s BXT Jetty

By DMG 29 Jul 2022

DMG Newsroom
29 July 2022, Sittwe

The BXT Jetty, a popular recreation area in the Arakan State capital Sittwe, has been marred by rampant littering, residents and visitors have complained.

Eyewitnesses say residents from nearby wards and visitors are responsible for the littering. The jetty’s popularity with local visitors has declined as the area has effectively become a garbage dump, said U Kyaw Kyaw of Sittwe’s Mi Zan ward.

“People do not dump in dustbins. As the jetty is not yet occupied by residents, many people litter there. At the same time, municipal authorities have to place garbage cans in every ward separately, for dry waste and wet waste,” he said.

If not disposed of properly, human-generated waste can pollute rivers and streams, harming aquatic wildlife, he added.

The jetty is usually visited by locals in the evenings for recreation as well as strolling and jogging. Some, however, gather there to drink, leaving discarded bottles and other trash behind when they leave.

There are only two garbage cans at BXT Jetty, said Daw Wai Wai, who asked the municipality to add more trash receptacles.

“If it continues this way, it will pollute the environment and harm public health. I have seen some emptying their trash cans at the jetty. The municipality should also put in more garbage cans. The area will be cleaner then,” she said.

U Aung Kyaw Win, a retired former assistant director of the local township development committee, called on municipal authorities to educate the public about the problems associated with littering.

“They should carry out education campaigns in wards and at markets, distributing flyers about their garbage collection system. The municipality should have a separate education department,” he said, adding that it was also important that people follow the rules.

Littering has been reported in many parts of Sittwe, Arakan State’s largest city. DMG was unable to obtain comment from the township development committee.