MENU
back
en
On September 30, 2024, the SMILE project, funded by Chevron Bangladesh and implemented by Swisscontact Bangladesh, officially handed over 530 waste bins and 60 non-automated collection vans to the Sylhet City Corporation (SCC). The intervention aims to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of waste management in SCC through strategic synergy. Through the provision of dedicated waste collection vans, tasked with servicing waste bins distributed across wards 5, 6, and 35, this intervention is expected to directly benefit approximately 25,000 households, as well as marketplaces, schools, colleges, hospitals, and the community, laying the foundation for a sustainable business model for the Sylhet City Corporation.
The collection vans will act as a self-sustaining waste management model that will pave the way for streamlined revenue generation for the Sylhet City Corporation. Moreover, this intervention opens avenues for income generation and livelihood opportunities within the community. The introduction of non-automated collection vans presents a model that can be adapted by local entrepreneurs, potentially leading to job creation and enhanced economic activity.
Key stakeholders attended the ceremony, including Abu Ahmed Siddique, NDC, Administrator (Additional Responsibility), Sylhet City Corporation, and Divisional Commissioner (Additional Secretary), Sylhet Division, Md. Iftikher Ahmed Chowdhury, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Sylhet City Corporation, Muhammad Imrul Kabir, Director, Corporate Affairs, Chevron Bangladesh, Khondoker Tusherujjaman, Manager, Community Engagement and Social Investment Chevron Bangladesh, Lt Col (retd.) Mohammad Aklem Abden, Chief Waste Management Officer, Sylhet City Corporation, Eng. Nur Azizur Rahman, Chief Engineer, Sylhet City Corporation, Dr. Md. Zahidul Islam, Chief Health Officer, Md. Makbul Hossain, Team Leader, SMILE project, Swisscontact, the Sylhet Press Club President, journalists, and local community leaders. The event emphasized the partnership between Chevron, SCC, and Swisscontact through the SMILE project, highlighting how this initiative aims to promote a cleaner Sylhet while creating revenue generation for SCC.
The SMILE project's broader environmental goals have reached a significant milestone with this handover event. The deployment of the bins and vans will reduce littering, improve waste disposal practices, and promote a cleaner urban environment, contributing to the city's overall health and sustainability.
With the success of this intervention, SCC aims to expand the initiative and continue improving waste management practices. The SMILE team will work closely with SCC to monitor the program’s progress and explore further opportunities for replication.
As the SMILE project progresses over its five-year timeline, it promises to deliver lasting impacts on both environmental management and community development in Sylhet City.