Dhaka, Apr 30 (UNB) – In response to Rohingya influx, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on Tuesday launched a month-long waste clean-up campaign in nine wards of the Teknaf Municipality to clean up and recover wastes.
During the inaugural session of the campaign in Cox’s Bazar, Teknaf Municipality Mayor Haji Mohammed Islam said,” It’s all of our responsibility to save Teknaf by not littering spontaneously. It’s not only damaging our natural habitat and ecosystem, but also causes various health hazards.”
The Mayor received waste cleaning materials and equipment from UNDP.
The campaign is part of a project, launched by UNDP in October 2018, titled “Sustainable Solutions to Solid Waste: A Local Response to the Rohingya Crisis” supported by the Swedish Development Agency (SIDA).
The three-year project is being implemented both in host communities and Rohingya camps to improve the existing solid waste system in Teknaf municipality.
While handing over the materials to the mayor, Trevor Daniel Clark, Head of UNDP’s Cox’s Bazar office, said, “Solid waste management is now an urgent need in Teknaf, considering the pressure caused by the overpopulation and the massive volume of wastes produced daily in the crammed area. This campaign will improve the situation and also raise the awareness of people in Teknaf.”
