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A study done by two Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (CUET) students says there is an opportunity to use plastic waste in road construction, which may reduce construction costs and pollution near dumping grounds.
Pial Barua and Al Amin of the university’s civil engineering department presented the research findings at a press conference at the Chittagong Press Club on Saturday. They researched the environmental pollution and adverse effects of plastic-polythene waste and its alternative use in road construction.
The study was supervised by Dr Swapan Kumar Palit, a professor in the department.
According to the study, 249 tonnes of plastic-polythene waste are produced daily in the Chattogram City Corporation area. Of this, 109 tonnes are collected. The main reason for the severe waterlogging in the city is the unmanaged plastic-polythene waste.
Presenting the research findings, Pial said the Chattogram city produces 3,000 tonnes of waste every day and 249 tonnes of it (8.3 per cent) are plastic and polythene waste.
He said the amount of plastic and polythene waste produced daily would increase to 428 tonnes in the city by 2051.
“At least 5-10 per cent of the plastic can be mixed with bitumen when roads are paved. This will increase road durability.”
At the press conference, former CUET vice-chancellor Jahangir Alam said the Karnaphuli River is the lifeblood of Chattogram and the production of polythene must be stopped first to save it.
This requires the government to make a political decision, he said.
Journalist Aliur Rahman, also the Chattogram River and Canal Protection Movement general secretary, said the polythene waste of the entire port city gets mixed with the Karnaphuli water. He said the riverbed had accumulated large layers of polythene because of that.
General Secretary of Bangladesh Environment Forum’s Chattogram chapter Prof Pradeep Kumar Das and environmental activist Manoj Kumar Deb were also present at the press conference.
