KARACHI - The provincial government has blamed the federal government for dumping garbage in different parts of the city or in nullahs rather than landfill sites.
“Such practice could further endanger the clearance of water in case of expected two day rainfall in the city during Friday and Saturday,” said Minister for Local Government Nair Hussain Shah on Friday while chairing a meeting to review garbage lifting in the city attended by representatives of SSWMB, Frontier Works Organization (FWO), PTI lawmaker Sidra Imran and others.
The SSWMB authorities complained Local Government Minister Nasir Hussain Shah about the dumping of garbage and other waste at different nullahs, garbage stations within the city rather than the landfill sites.
On this, the minister asked the provincial PTI lawmaker Sidra Imran and FWO official Colonel Atif Gulzar to convey the reservation of the provincial garbage lifting body to Federal Minister Ali Zaidi, who is leading a clean Karachi campaign in the city.
The minister said that the garbage should be dumped at landfill site rather than dumping it within the city. “Those trucks dumping garbage at the site would be given receipts depicting the amount of the garbage dumped,” he said.
Offal of 1.2 million sacrificial animals disposed off during Eid days
Provincial Minister for Information Saeed Ghani has also shared footages of trucks dumping garbage at different garbage stations including Korangi causeway that witnessed overflow of water during recent rains and demanded of the federal minister to take notice of it.
The minister said that he had made several requests to the federal minister to take notice of it but it has been falling on deaf ears and could led to further devastation in case of expected rains in the city.
Minister for Local Government Syed Nasir Hussain Shah on Friday directed authorities to submit a report over lifting of offal and garbage from the city.
“The performance of the Sindh Solid Waste Management Board (SSWMB) authorities remained better during Eid days with some exceptions, which will also be addressed after a report on the matter,” said the minister while chairing the meeting. During the meeting, the provincial minister was briefed that offal of 1.2 million sacrificial animals weighting upto 53956 tones was disposed off during the Eid days.
It was informed that three drainage lines were setup before Eid at Sharafi Goth, Jam Chakro and Gond Pass to dump the offal collected during Eid days.
The SSWMB officials informed that around 13000 metric-tons was generated during a day in the city and the provincial garbage lifting body was responsible for lifting it from districts East, South and Malir. “We also have a partial charge of district West and in two districts of Korangi and Central, we are only directed to shift garbage from garbage stations to landfill sites on directives from provincial authorities,” said the official.
He said that they were disposing-off 11,000 metric-tons of garbage to landfill sites in a day.
The provincial minister directed the authorities to expedite their operations and said that the top PPP and provincial government leadership was very keen in improving cleanliness in the city and had visited different spots to review situation on ground.
Nasir Hussain Shah while chairing the meeting said that out of the 500 acres of land designated for landfill sites, 450 acres comprise heaps of garbage. “If a further delay is being made to recycle or compress this garbage then it could complicate situation for the authorities,” he said.
The minister added that some companies have approached them to recycle it or compress it but the process would take time as it has some legal formalities.
He also formed a committee comprising secretary local government, MD Public Private Partnership and MD SSWMB to review the matter and submit its report within seven days.
“If the proposal would require a legal cover then it could be passed from the cabinet and furthermore from provincial assembly,” he said.
He further said that the federal government has only allowed 50 megawatt electricity from gabage in the city which is far below than the need of the metropolis.
He said Karachi has more garbage collection than in KPK and Balochistan therefore the federal authorities would e requested to allow five plants of 50 megawatts each.