Private garbage collection system introduced in urban Sittwe

By Admin 17 Feb 2023

DMG Newsroom
17 February 2023, Sittwe

A private firm, Tet Lan Co., has reportedly started a private garbage collection system to help clean up the Arakan State capital Sittwe.

Private waste collection has been taking place in 10 Sittwe wards since February 15.

“I run a private garbage collection system with the sole desire to clean Sittwe,” said Ko Aung Zaw Win, an official from Tet Lan Co. “I don’t want Sittwe to have garbage dumps and people to smell garbage. A private garbage collection system is being implemented so that people do not have to spend time going to the garbage dump.”

Garbage will be collected three days a week in rotation by neighbourhood. A household will be charged K3,000 per month as a garbage collection service fee, and garbage from businesses will be charged based on the volume of waste generated.

“Garbage does not necessarily have to be put in the garbage truck. If you are interested in our service, we will collect lists and carry out garbage collection services. If you want to throw away your own garbage, you can. If you have a registered house with us, you can gather garbage in front of the house,” he explained.

Some Sittwe residents told DMG that they accept the implementation of a private garbage collection system as an effective means of cleaning up the Arakan State capital.

“People in our neighbourhood throw their garbage near the river, which harms marine life. Lately, people have been dumping trash at BXT Jetty in Sittwe. BXT Jetty in Sittwe is not a good place to visit. The smell is not good. Implementation of this kind of private garbage collection system is a good plan for Sittwe,” said Ma Yuzana Aung, a resident of Sittwe’s Mizan Ward.

In 2022, the Sittwe municipality erected signs setting restrictions on when and where people were permitted to dispose of their various forms of waste, but compliance was low and vandals destroyed several of the signs.

A frequent complaint of capital residents is that piles of rubbish regularly sully the streets of Sittwe, and that the stench from its landfills negatively impacts locals’ quality of life, as well as the reputation of Arakan State’s largest city.