Dhaka city suffers from a shortage of manpower in waste and filth management. But what it suffers the most from is the lack of a modern and efficient cleaning system. The capital's daily struggle with waste is not just because of overpopulation. It is also because of inefficient practices that do not incentivise better performance and productivity. In its search for solutions, Dhaka does not need to look far; the experience of Kolkata can be a lesson.

There was a time when Kolkata was considered one of the dirtiest cities of India, particularly between 1970s and 1980s, for poor sanitation and waste management. In mid-1980, Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi referred to Kolkata (Calcutta at the time) as a 'dying city' not only because of the provincial capital facing severe socio-economic woes, but also because of its sanitation and cleanliness stagnation.

However, Kolkata was able to get out of such a situation. Gradually, it became much cleaner and more organised. The changes did not happen suddenly, nor was it driven solely by increased spending or manpower. The key factor behind improving the cleanliness of the city was a fundamental shift in the attitude towards cleaning workers - their wage and motivation.

The situation in Kolkata was similar to what currently prevails in Dhaka. Until the mid-1990s, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation followed the conventional model of waste management. The workers received a standard wage regardless of whether they collect a large volume of garbage or not. The result was predictable ---limited accountability, minimal motivation and a city that remained buried under its own garbage.

In the 1990s, the authorities took a bold step forward. They switched to a new payment model based on the quantity and quality of services. Cleaning workers got remunerated depending on the volume of garbage collected. The larger the volume, the higher their wage would be.

The seemingly small change brought about desirable consequences. A link was established between the effort put and the compensation for it. Employees who were previously lazy gained monetary motivation for raising their efficiency. The people who worked hard were rewarded for their efforts, those who lagged behind saw a difference in their pay.

The outcome was immediately reflected in the streets. Cleaners not only made sure that their areas were cleaned thoroughly but even extended their work to neighbouring areas because they could earn more that way. What was at first an inefficient system turned out to be a proactive approach where employees competed against each other. Though not everything was perfect in the city, it became clear that it was no longer a dying city anymore. This experience proves that urban governance does not always require extra actions but rather different actions than those implemented before.

However, unlike Kolkata, Dhaka still grapples with an outdated and inadequate system. In general, cleaners are paid based on attendance, not performance. At sunrise everyday, people wake up to the noise of brooms sweeping the streets. However, upon stepping out of their homes, they are greeted with the usual garbage littered here and there.

The problem is not that no work has been done but that the employees are not motivated enough to do their work well because their income is not directly linked to what they do. It is obvious that once people realise that they will get the same money regardless of how hard they work, they will not be interested in putting any additional effort in the job.

The introduction of a system where employees are paid based on their performance will make a tremendous difference. It is necessary to reward those people whose efforts result in disposal of greater amounts of waste.

Nevertheless, the provision of money alone is insufficient; Dhaka should also consider upgrading itself in terms of the technology used to address its sanitation challenges. Instead of street sweepers, introduction of equipment could effectively improve the efficiency of the process of sweeping the major streets and roads. Such technologies were selectively used previously but currently those are hardly employed.

What Dhaka city authorities lack is not money, but an incentive-based system capable of motivating cleaning workers and improving effectiveness in their work. The sooner the policymakers will understand, the faster Dhaka's waste and filth management will improve.

rahmansrdk@gmail.com