Every house, government and non-government buildings must have its own septic tank for sewage management in the capital, said Local Government and Rural Development (LGRD) Minister Md Tajul Islam on Sunday.

“Sewerage lines should not be led directly into lakes or canals,” he said at a workshop on ‘Safe Sewage Management: Things to Do' organised by Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) at the city’s Nagar Bhaban.

The minister said, “About 99 per cent of buildings in Dhaka have been built violating laws and regulations. And most of the houses in the capital do not have septic tanks.”

As there is no septic tank, the sewerage line goes directly into the canal and lake polluting the water and threatening species, including fish, the minister added.

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“There is no scope to allow construction of any infrastructure without septic tank for waste management,” said Md Tajul directing the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK) to be more careful about these matters before approving the design.

He said consumption has increased due to an increase in purchasing power of people and so has the garbage.

He further said, “Naturally this garbage has become a challenge for management. And this challenge is not only in our country but also in other countries of the world.”

The government is working to address this challenge, he said, mentioning that it is going to generate electricity from waste soon.

He said both the city corporations are working tirelessly to make the capital Dhaka a modern, beautiful and liveable city.

“Many occupied canals have already been recovered. Work is underway to repair and re-excavate the canals to make them navigable. Many changes will take place in the city once the work is completed.”

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UNICEF Country Representative Mr. Sheldon Yett was the special guest at the event presided over by the DNCC Mayor Md Atiqul Islam.

Earlier, the LGRD minister visited various stalls related to the use of modern technology in waste management.