Islamabad - The residents have urged the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to adopt a comprehensive mechanism for proper collection and disposal of solid waste as heaps of rubbish were posing serious threat to the health of citizens.
According to them, Islamabad, the second most beautiful capital of the world had no proper solid waste management system was ample proof of negligence of the Environment Wing of its civic body. The Environment Wing of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) having a huge staff had no concern to maintain beauty of the capital by disposing of the garbage properly, they said.
They said a huge quantum of solid waste could be seen at different locations of the capital city including Zero-point, Judicial Town, Pakistan Town, G-9, Khanna Pul and Sohan.
Salim Khan, a citizen said due to lack of proper landfill sites, solid waste was being dumped at open sites posing threat to the natives of Islamabad. “Such unattended and openly dumped waste especially under warm and moist conditions had become an ideal breeding place for disease-causing organisms,”
Muhammad Atif, a citizen said these badly managed heaps of waste were time bombs, which may not explode, but can cause serious health hazards.” It seems non-existent of proper management system of solid waste in the CDA and ICT administration.” The residents of various areas of the capital told this news agency that many areas of the city were filled with foul stench emanating from garbage heaps resulting in air pollution. “Burning of waste plastic bags and other waste material also pollutes air threatening residents of respiratory and other diseases.”
Heaps had become a permanent source of nuisance for the residents, Ali Sultan a resident of sector G-13 said.
Murtaza Khan, a resident of Khanna Pul said immediate attention of the authorities concerned was required to address the issue of waste disposal in the federal capital. He said sanitary workers instead of removing the garbage used to collect and dump the waste on roadside. This causes more trouble to the residents especially the elders suffering from a range of ailments.
Health experts said that untreated and improper disposal of waste was causing ailments and serious hazards to human health in the various areas of the capital. They said that residents of the areas where there was no proper waste disposal method suffer from infectious diseases like hepatitis and respiratory disorders.
Plastic waste accumulating on the roadside between Faizabad and Pirwadhai areas was also posing serious threats to the health of citizens, they added.
When contacted, CDA officials said that steps had been taken for having comprehensive system of collection and disposal of solid waste in the federal capital.