Arakan State’s military council to introduce private garbage collection system in urban Sittwe

By DMG 05 May 2022

DMG Newsroom
5 May 2022, Sittwe 

The Arakan State Administration Council says it is planning to introduce a private garbage collection system in 10 wards of the Arakan State capital Sittwe. 

U Than Tun, the Arakan State minister for natural resources, told DMG that efforts were being made to introduce private waste collection in the 10 Sittwe wards of Pyidawtha; Kyaypingyi; Mawleik; Oh Tan; Mizang; Rupa Taung; Rupa Mrauk; Kyaung Tet Lan; Bauk Thee Su; and Myo Thu Gyi. 

“The main purpose is to make it possible for garbage to be collected from the kitchen by a private garbage truck, and to be able to use the garbage collection system instead of [irresponsibly] dumping garbage in downtown wards,” he explained. 

U Than Tun said the local government had been in talks with municipal authorities in recent days to introduce a private waste management system, and would later seek public input. 

“The main reason is that the authorities have introduced this garbage collection system out of fear that the poor will suffer. But most people are thinking of doing it at a rate that they can afford. Under this private garbage collection system, kitchen waste and products from hospitals, clinics and workshops will be priced differently,” the minister added. 

If the system is implemented as planned, interested companies will be invited and selected via a tender. 

U Maung Thar Sein, a Sittwe elder, said the emergence of a private garbage collection system would be a positive development, adding that capital residents needed to dispose of their waste properly. 

“A private garbage collection system is a good thing. Otherwise, the people will have to pay garbage collection tax to the city development committee. People have to pay the municipality, but they do not know who to call if there is a pile of rubbish. In addition, people need to dispose of garbage properly,” he said. 

There are currently piles of rubbish at intersections in some of Sittwe’s urban wards, and locals say the foul stench from the trash is blighting the affected neighbourhoods.