Garbage lifting, cleanliness started in Karachi

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has said that the process of garbage lifting and cleanliness has been started in the metropolis, however, he stressed that all the institutions will have to extend their support to solid waste management.

He said this while presiding over a high-level meeting of Sindh Solid Waste Management Board (SSWMB) at Chief Minister House, said a statement issued here on Tuesday.

The meeting was attended by Minister Local Government Jam Khan Shoro, Minister Information Syed Nasir Shah, Chief Secretary Rizwan Memon, and other officials.

Minister Jam Khan Shoro and MD Solid Waste Management, giving a presentation to the chief minister, said that the SSWMB was created for collection, transport and disposal of solid waste in Karachi and other cities and towns of the province in an efficient manner.

It is responsible for collection and disposal of solid as well as other industrial waste, medical / hospital and agricultural waste.

Shoro said that total waste generation of the city is about 12,000 tons per day out of which 9,000 tons of waste is generated in municipal areas including DMCs and District Council of Karachi.

The remaining 3,000 tons of waste is generated in areas of other civic administrative bodies such as six Cantonment boards, SITE, KPT, Pakistan Railways, CAA etc.

He said the SSWMB has three basic components such as Front-end collection, Middle-end Garbage Transfer Stations (GTS) and back-end SWM Services as Landfill Site (LFS).

Currently, transportation cost regarding solid waste management services is very high because the landfill sites are at a distance of above 35 km from the city centre and 70 km up and down. This distance is even over 50 km from many areas of Karachi.

The meeting was told that two landfill sites (LFSs) of 500 acres each, Jam Chakro and Gaond Pass are available for disposal of the solid waste being generated in the city. Unfortunately, both sites are simply dumping grounds and far from international standards of Sanitary Landfill Sites.

According to the current status of proposed GTS sites a piece of 10.14 acres land at Sector No. 12- B, Korangi industrial Area Sharafi Goth has been acquired and boundary wall has been constructed around it. Computerized weighbridge is being installed and expected to be working within next 60 days.

The chief minister was told that the actual work of GTS could not be undertaken due to heaps of more than 400,000 tons of garbage on the site accumulated during last three decades.

This mountain of the garbage is being lifted and transported for dumping at Landfill sites. So far over 200,000 tons backlog of garbage has been transported to the landfill sites. Therefore, approximately 60 percent of the total backlog has been lifted from this place.

It was pointed out that DMC Malir & DMC Korangi are still using these site as GTS, hence SSWMB has to lift not only backlog but routine garbage also.

After receiving the possession of 11.47 acres at Sector No. 52, Korangi Town, the SSWMB started construction of boundary wall but the work was stopped over ownership dispute.

The chief minister directed the Chief Secretary to check record of rights to ascertain the actual ownership of the land.

The KDA has handed over 4.13 acres land in Sector No. 26 Korangi Industrial Area to SSWMB, "but Assistant Commissioner, Landhi as well as DMC Korangi have established some offices on the site and are not ready to vacate them". On this the chief minister directed the chief secretary to resolve the matter and report to him.

Five-acres Land Deh Okewari, East land has been identified and recommended by the DC East. He has advised the SSWMB not to start construction till it is cleared from encroachment.

The meeting also discussed many other areas for garbage lifting and landfill sites.