Staff Correspondent
A long-standing pile of garbage dumped beneath a bridge and along the Kolatia Canal in front of Kolatia High School in Keraniganj, Dhaka, has been removed following a complaint filed through the district administration’s ‘Hello DC’ app. On Sunday, DC Farida Khanam forwarded the complaint to the upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) concerned and directed him to take immediate action.
Residents said household waste from Kolatia Bazar and surrounding areas had been dumped regularly in the canal and beneath the bridge for a long time. The continued dumping had created a large mound of garbage, causing foul odours and environmental pollution.
The location, being directly in front of Kolatia High School, had also caused considerable inconvenience to students, teachers, pedestrians and local residents. Students in particular had to pass through the area amid piles of waste and unpleasant smells while travelling to and from school.The matter came to the district administration’s attention after a complaint was submitted through the ‘Hello DC’ platform.
Following the complaint, the authorities instructed the relevant officials to take prompt action.The accumulated waste was subsequently removed from the canal and the area beneath the bridge was cleaned.Local residents welcomed the initiative, saying garbage had been dumped at the site regularly for years without any effective intervention. They expressed satisfaction that the waste was cleared soon after the complaint was lodged through the app.
The district administration said the ‘Hello DC’ service was introduced to help resolve public grievances and civic problems quickly. Complaints received through the platform are forwarded to the relevant government offices and upazila administrations for necessary action.
Farida Khanam said the initiative was playing an effective role in addressing citizens’ concerns.“Once the issue of the garbage pile in front of Kolatia High School came to our attention through a complaint, we instructed the relevant authorities to take immediate action.
The accumulated waste has since been removed,” she said.She stressed that keeping areas used by students and the general public clean was a shared responsibility.“Local residents also need to be aware of the harmful consequences of indiscriminate dumping,” she said, adding that the district administration would continue its efforts to resolve citizens’ complaints promptly through the ‘Hello DC’ platform.
