The High Court yesterday directed both the city corporations of Dhaka to have garbage taken by covered trucks or vans between 10:00pm and 6:00am every day.

The court also asked authorities of south and north city corporations to submit a report in 45 days before it on steps they would take to comply with the directive.

The HC issued a rule upon the corporations and the government to explain why carrying garbage on trucks and vans without proper covers beyond the specific time should not be declared illegal.

In the rule, the court also asked them to show causes why they should not be directed to make appropriate rules and regulations for waste management system of the city corporations pursuant to the power conferred by section 41 of the local government (City Corporation) act 2009.

The bench of Justice Quazi Reza-Ul-Hoque and Justice Mohammad Ullah came up with the order and rule following a writ petition filed by Barrister Mahfuzur Rahman Milon, executive director of rights organisation Justice Watch Foundation.

Milon told The Daily Star that the city corporations would have to collect garbage and transport it in covered trucks between 10:00pm to 6:00am following the HC order.

He also said the vehicles currently used for the purpose give off a foul odour and often cause traffic jam while collecting garbage.

Barrister ABM Altaf Hossain placed arguments for the petitioner.

Commodore MA Razzak, chief waste management officer of Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC), said that they would comply with the court order.

According to official sources, DNCC collects 2,500 tonnes of solid waste with 132 vehicles every day and dumps the waste at Aminbazar landfill site.

The equipments include waste compactors, waste container carriers, dump trucks and open trucks.

Of the equipments, 25 compactors are used for compressing wastes and are covered, modern and more efficient in waste management and used during daytime.

The south city corporation handles nearly 3,000 tonnes of solid wastes with 130 open trucks, 90 dump trucks and 16 compactors.