Over 6 lakh slum dwellers in the city

About 6.46 lakh slum dwellers are living in 3,394 slums in the capital, Local Government Division Minister Tajul Islam informed the parliament yesterday.

He said that there are 1,639 slums with 4,99,011 population in Dhaka North City Corporation and 1,755 slums with 1,47,056 population in Dhaka South City Corporation, while answering a question from lawmaker Haji M Salim. 

The minister, quoting slum census of 2014, said that there are 1,35,340 lakh households in DNCC and 40,591 in DSCC.

The government is implementing several projects to improve the living standard and primary healthcare of the people living in the slums, the minister said in scripted answer.

The question-answer session was tabled by Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudahury at the onset of day’s proceedings.

 A total of 472 slums in Adabar thana, 284 in Mohammadpur, 168 in Rampura, 138 in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, and 121 in Badda thana are under DNCC.

There are 426 slums in Khilgaon thana, 278 in Lalbagh, 265 in Kamrangirchar, 243 in Hajaribagh and 165 in Jatrabari thana under DSCC.

Tajul, answering another query from lawmaker Abdul Latif, also said the government is planning to expand and modernise the Aminbazar landfill at a cost of Tk 826 crore to dispose of more kitchen waste.

Also, expansion of Matuail sanitary landfill, at a cost of Tk 724 crore, is underway.