An open garbage truck running on a city street in open daylight.Photo: Anisur Rahman

The roaming of garbage trucks in the city during the busiest hours is another daily nuisance that the dwellers of this city have to face -- as if traffic tailbacks, reckless driving, muggings and air, noise or other types of pollutions were not enough.
Bulky and worn-out trash collecting trucks, unfit for the job, with tonnes of stinking litter piled up on their exposed backs cruising through the city thoroughfares during office and school hours is a sight that the inhabitants of the city has become too familiar with.
As the nauseating smell emitted from the trash on these trucks spreads in the air, it turns anyone's stomach, especially of the children and women on the road.
"I don't feel well," said a pale-faced six-year-old, Samia, moments before she threw up. Samia was on her way home from school with her mother in a rickshaw. As they were waiting at a traffic signal, overpowering smell from a garbage truck next to the rickshaw caused Samia's young stomach to give in.
"They could at least use those covered vans to collect the trash. That way they could somewhat contain the stench inside the truck," said an upset Ruksana Fahmida, Samia's mother.
According to guidelines of Dhaka City Corporation (DCC), collection of trash from city areas should be completed by 7:00am in the morning. DCC officials, however, claimed that the guidelines apply only to VIP areas.
"We try to complete cleaning and trash collection in VIP areas by 7:00am in the morning. However, depending on the location, it usually takes longer and may stretch up to 10:00am at other areas," said a conservancy department official of DCC requesting anonymity.
"Besides, movement in the city is time-consuming. So, it may take an additional hour or two for the garbage trucks to reach their destinations. We also have to collect trash from alleyways and narrow streets that does not help to work faster either," he added.
The official's explanation is understandable considering the severe traffic congestion problem in the city, but it fails to justify why DCC's large and stinking garbage trucks are seen on city streets congesting the roads at 1:30pm in the afternoon. Are the DCC vehicles exempted from the restriction on movement of heavy vehicles in the city during daytime, asked a concerned resident.
It was around 1:40pm when a garbage truck, with a few tonnes of exposed and smelly trash piled up high on its back, was seen caught in traffic at the signal near Malibagh rail gate.
As the oversized vehicle inched its way towards Malibagh rail gate, helpless and disgusted commuters including homebound school children were trying in vein to fend off the odour by covering their noses with handkerchiefs. Those who did not have handkerchiefs were trying to plug their noses with their fingers.
As the lorry thumped into a pothole before swinging over to the left, a pile of trash from its exposed back slithered its way down onto the street. The truck left a trail of litter behind it as more garbage continued to spill over from its back.
"From what I know, they are supposed to collect and dispose of the trash by early morning, before office hours. What are they doing cruising down the streets during daytime, making our lives more difficult with the disgusting odour," said Tareq Masud, a student from Goran who was seen stuck in a tailback caused by a garbage truck at around 12:00 noon.
"On my way to classes every morning, I have to face tailbacks caused by a parked garbage truck as it narrows down the street by occupying half of it," said Tanvir Masud, a resident of Bashabo.
According to sources at DCC, there are 376 transport vehicles -- different categories of trucks, container carriers, covered vans and other motorised vehicles -- in the corporation that are used in conservancy work.
While the schedule of garbage collection depends on the area, it takes longer to collect garbage from congested regions of the city. Most of the garbage trucks have to make cross-city trips while collecting trash from more than one location.
Apart from turning someone's life miserably unpleasant, frequent exposure to overpowering and disgusting smell may cause health problems as well, said experts.
"Although foul odour may not cause direct damage to health, toxic stimulants of odour may fire up respiratory symptoms. Secondary effects including nausea, insomnia and discomfort are also very much possible," said Hasib Hasan, enforcement officer of Department of Environment.
"Very strong odour may also result in nasal irritation, trigger symptoms of breathing problems or asthma," he added.
"The amount of waste produced in the city every hour is colossal. The collection and disposal of all the waste is no simple task and may take longer than one can imagine. Everyone should consider the fact that the trucks have to collect the trash first and then carry it to the landfills. This whole process is quite time-consuming -- especially in the capital," said Mafizur Rahman Bhyuian, conservancy officer of DCC zone 6 that serves eight wards in the areas of Farmgate and Karwan Bazar.
"They [city dwellers] are the ones who indiscriminately dump garbage anywhere they please and we are the ones trying to remedy that. So, if people wants to rid the nuisance of garbage trucks, they should first help us in regulating their garbage dumping practices," he added.