Summary:
- Bangladesh launches groundbreaking environmental project on St. Martin’s Island to eliminate plastic bottles through ATM-style water distribution system and implement waste-to-energy plasma reactor technology.
- The project will process rainwater, groundwater, and surface water for 8,000 residents, managing 4 tons of daily waste while serving up to 2,000 tourists during peak season.
- New tourism regulations restrict visitors to day trips in November, allow overnight stays December-January with 2,000 daily limit, and close the island completely in February.
- World Bank-funded initiative includes eco-friendly buildings, international-standard toilets, and integrated waste management, making Bangladesh the third country globally in waste-to-energy implementation.
The Bangladesh government has launched a comprehensive environmental protection initiative for St. Martin’s Island, introducing an alternative drinking water system to eliminate plastic bottle usage and implementing an integrated waste management system featuring plasma reactor technology.
Key Environmental Initiatives
The new project includes environmentally friendly waste collection transport (BECOTEG) and a special card-based water distribution system similar to ATM cards, allowing residents to access drinking water as needed. The initiative is being implemented with World Bank funding and government support.
Water Management Solutions
A sophisticated water treatment system will process rainwater, groundwater, and surface water for distribution to island residents. Assistant Engineer Abul Manjur of Cox’s Bazar Public Health Engineering Department explains that “water quality will be monitored through a special laboratory, and users can access drinking water through special cards at minimum fixed rates.”
Waste Management Infrastructure
The project features:
- Environment-friendly operational buildings constructed without bricks, cement, or steel rods
- Two international-standard public toilets
- An integrated waste management system handling human, medical, solid, and plastic waste
- Plasma reactor technology for waste-to-energy conversion
Current Environmental Challenges
The island currently generates:
- Two tons of human waste daily from 8,000 residents across 1,700 families
- Two tons of solid waste
- Four thousand plastic bottles and packaging waste from 2,000 daily tourists during peak season
Tourism Restrictions
The government has implemented new tourism guidelines:
- November: Day visits only with no overnight stays
- December-January: Maximum 2,000 tourists allowed daily with overnight stays permitted
- February: Complete closure for environmental cleaning
Expert Perspectives
Environmental activist H M Nazrul Islam from BAPA Cox’s Bazar praised the initiative, stating “This commendable government effort comes at a crucial time when environmental destruction is widespread on St. Martin’s.”
The project, scheduled for completion in June 2025, represents Bangladesh’s third entry into waste-to-energy technology implementation, following successful pilot testing in Cox’s Bazar’s Rohingya refugee camps. This initiative marks a significant step toward preserving the island’s unique ecosystem, which was declared an Ecologically Critical Area in 1999 and expanded to include 1,743 square kilometers of surrounding marine protected area in 2023.
Source: Kalerkantho
