LAHORE - Heaps of garbage piled up outside dustbins in markets and roads has been given an ugly look to the city besides creating environmental and health problems.
Township Market, Abid Market, Waris Road and Green Town areas have been badly affected due to the presence of heaps of garbage outside containers.
On Ferozpur Road, near a petrol pump, two wastebins always overfilled with garbage, according to the shopkeepers.
Lahore Waste Management Company (LWMC) has more than Rs10 billion annual budget and operates with a workforce of 8,000 daily wagers and contractors employees. The LWMC has hired two Turkish contractors Al Bayrak and OzPak for waste collections and cleanliness in city and paying these international contractors 18 to 20 dollars per ton for the waste picking.
Asif Mehmood, a resident of Green Town said situation of waste collection in his area was not appreciable. “It can be improved if company improves its operations at designated and temporary waste collection sites,” he added.
Rs10b being spent on cleanliness annually
In Township market at Barkat Chowk, containers filled with garbage also creating problems for the market visitors and shopkeepers and causing traffic hindrance also.
Due to a tussle between Lahore Walled City Authority and Lahore Waste Management Company, residents of the Walled City are confused where to lodge complaints regarding garbage presence outside the containers.
An official of LWMC on condition of anonymity told The Nation that from Dehli Gate to Shahi Hammam (Royal Bath) falls under WCLA while rest of the area is a responsibility of LWMC.
A daily visitor to Ghulshan Iqbal Park said that garbage containers should not be placed outside and around the parks.
The city’s waste collection company was formed in 2010 by the then City District Government Lahore, by merging the previous Solid Waste Management to newly created LWMC.
From January till May Rs 8.4 million fines have been imposed by LWMC on individuals, companies and organizations in city for illegal dumping of waste and more than 300 g arbage filled plots have been cleared.
On Mall Road four LWMC’s inspectors are taking issuing tickets to citizens on violations and company has increased the number of garbage containers and bins at The Mall.
LWMC General Manager (Operations) Sohail Anwar Malik said that LWMC on daily basis with the fleet of 800 vehicles run garbage collection operations twice a day.
