River bank and ghat cleanup, Dhaka
Picking the plastic, bottles and polythene off a ghat or a kilometre of river bank, sorting it, and setting a bin at the ghat.
- 0/12 people
- About 5 hours
- 25
- points
About this task
The Buriganga is one of the country’s most polluted rivers; plastic heaps up at its ghats. Picking plastic bottles, polythene and snack packets off a ghat or a set stretch of river bank; sellable plastic sorted out, the rest onto the municipal truck; and two bins and a sign at the ghat at the end.
Why it matters
Our rivers are the life of the country, yet many beside towns are choked with plastic and waste. Plastic left on the bank goes into the river with the tide or rain, harming fish and people.
What changes after
The bank clean, in before and after photos; bins at the ghat; the ghat committee takes on emptying them.
Who can join
Anyone over 14; school and college groups do it well.
Step by step
0 of 3 steps doneHow to do it, in order.About 5 hours across all steps
- 1
Tell the ghat committee and the municipality
Agree the waste truck’s time.
60 min
Not startedIn hand:Nobody yet - 2
Pick and sort
Bottles apart (they sell), the rest in sacks.
180 minগ্লাভস, বস্তা
Not startedIn hand:Nobody yet - 3
A bin and a sign
Two bins at the ghat: “Here, not in the river”.
60 minডাস্টবিন
Not startedIn hand:Nobody yet
What you need
- Gloves · জনপ্রতি ১ জোড়া
- Sacks · ৪০টি
- Bins · ২টি
When it counts as done
- The stretch is clean, in before and after photos
- Bins set at the ghat
Proof required
- Before photo
- After photo
Safety
Do not go into the water. There may be broken glass in the mud: never without shoes and gloves.
The full guide
What it takes, and how to do it
Never done this before? No matter. The cost, the timeline, who does what, whom to speak to, the day hour by hour, the risks and ready words to send are all here.
- About
- ৳4,300–8,000
- People
- 12
- Time in all
- 5 hours
- Age
- 14 or older
Best timeThe dry season, November to March: the water is low, the bank dry and the waste within reach. 7 to 11 in the morning, before the sun is high. Avoid the monsoon and high tide.
PermissionNo separate government permit is usually needed, but tell the ghat committee and the municipality (in villages, the union parishad) in writing, and fix the waste truck's time. Get the ghat committee's consent for where the bins go.
What it costs
Prices differ by district and season; this is a 2026 estimate. Keep receipts and put them in the proof.
| What | How much | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Rubber or heavy cloth gloves12 pairsWhere: Hardware or farm supply shop | 12 pairs | ৳60–120 |
| Plastic or jute sacks40Where: Rice wholesaler or used-sack shop | 40 | ৳15–25 |
| Large bins with lids2Where: Plastic goods shop | 2 | ৳800–1,500 |
| Sign (tin or flex)1Where: Sign painter or flex print shop | 1 | ৳400–800 |
| Drinking water and a light snack12 peopleWhere: Neighbourhood grocery | 12 people | ৳60–100 |
| First aid box (bandage, antiseptic, plasters)1Where: Pharmacy | 1 | ৳300–500 |
| Total (about) | ৳4,300–8,000 | |
Getting ready, step by step
7 days before
- Walk the ghat and fix the stretch (say 500 m to 1 km) to clean.
- Give a letter to the ghat committee and the municipality or union parishad; fix the waste truck's time.
- Ask a local boatman or ghat worker about the tide times.
3 days before
- Buy gloves, sacks, bins and the first aid box; keep receipts.
- Fix the sign's words and send it to print: “Here, not in the river”.
- Ask a scrap dealer what they pay per kilo for plastic bottles.
The day before
- Remind everyone: closed shoes, full sleeves, a cap, a water bottle.
- Split the team and write down who takes which part.
On the day
- Take the before photos from fixed spots before starting.
- Bottles apart, the rest in sacks; load it on the waste truck.
- Set the bins and sign, then take after photos from the same spots.
The week after
- Visit the ghat and see whether the bins are being emptied.
- Put the bottle money and the spending account in the proof.
Who does what
Lead1
Speaks with the ghat committee and municipality, keeps time, does the account.
Safety and first aid1
Makes sure nobody goes into the water or works without shoes and gloves; dresses cuts.
Pickers7
Pick plastic, polythene and packets from their stretch.
Sorting and sacks2
Sort bottles out, tie sacks, load the truck.
Photos and records1
Before and after photos, number of sacks, weight of bottles.
Whom to speak to first
The ghat committee or ghat leaseholder
- Why
- The ghat is in their care; they can take on emptying the bins.
- How
- Go in person a week before with a letter, and choose the bin spot together.
The municipality's waste section or the union parishad
- Why
- Where the collected waste goes and when the truck comes.
- How
- Give a written request, keep the received copy, remind them by phone the day before.
Ghat shopkeepers and boatmen
- Why
- Much of the waste comes from around them; if they agree, the bank stays clean.
- How
- Talk with them for two minutes on the day and show them the bins.
The day, hour by hour
- 07:00Gather, sign in, hand out gloves and sacks, safety talk (nobody in the water).
- 07:20Before photos from fixed spots.
- 07:30Teams start picking; each team keeps a separate bottle sack.
- 09:0015-minute break in the shade, water and snack.
- 09:15Pick and sort again; tie sacks and stack them in one place.
- 10:30Load the waste truck; bottles to the scrap dealer or set aside.
- 11:00Set the bins and sign, hand them over to the ghat committee.
- 11:30After photos, team photo, wash hands, done.
How to take the proof
- Take at least three before-and-after pairs from the same spot, facing the same way.
- Line up the sacks for one photo and note the count.
- A photo of the bins and sign with the ghat behind them.
- Receipts and the bottle-sale account on one page.
Common first-time mistakes
- Picking before deciding where the waste goes; the sacks end up back in the river.
- Setting bins without deciding who empties them.
- Forgetting the before photos.
- Going into the mud in sandals.
What can go wrong, and what to do
Someone slips into the water
Work at least two arm-lengths from the edge; keep a swimmer and a rope on the bank; call 999 in danger.
Cuts from broken glass, needles or sharp tin
Touch nothing bare-handed; put needles or syringes in a separate hard bottle; wash a cut and bandage it, take deep ones to a health centre.
The waste truck does not come
Tie the sacks and keep them on high ground away from the water; contact the municipality again the next day.
The tide covers the bank
Know the tide time beforehand; when the water starts rising, stop and come up.
Ready words to send
Copy, fill the [brackets], send.
WhatsApp / Facebook invitation
Join the river bank cleanup! Where: [ghat name], [area] When: [date], 7:00 to 11:30 am What: we pick plastic and polythene off the bank and set two bins at the ghat. Bring: closed shoes, full sleeves, a cap, a water bottle. We provide gloves and sacks. Age 14 and up. Nobody goes into the water. To join: send a join request on this task's page on Desher Kaj, or tell [lead's name] in this group.
Letter to the ghat committee and municipality
Date: [date] To [President/Secretary], [ghat name] Ghat Committee Copy: [Waste management officer], [municipality/union parishad] Subject: Cleaning [ghat name] ghat and river bank, and setting bins. Sir/Madam, We are [team name], a volunteer team on the Desher Kaj platform. On [date], from 7:00 to 11:30 am, we wish to pick plastic and polythene from [ghat name] ghat and about [length] metres of the bank beside it. At the end we wish to set two bins and a sign at the ghat. We kindly request: 1. Your consent for the bin spot, and that you take on emptying them regularly. 2. A vehicle at [time] to take away the collected waste. No money will be collected for this work. Yours faithfully [Name], team lead [team name]
After it is done
- Visit after a week and a month to see the bins are emptied; post a photo update.
- Keep the bottle money for bin repair or the next cleanup, and show the account openly.
- Repeat on the same bank every two or three months; photos of the same spots will show the change.
Questions people ask
What about the money from bottles?
Towards the bins or the next cleanup; put the account in the proof.
Can I join if I cannot stay the whole time?
Yes. Say in your request which step or which hours you can do. The lead will give that step to you.