Smelly education: Half of garbage dumps next to education institutes

Students, teachers ‘unable to continue’ classes amid foul smell of garbage.

RAWALPINDI:

Nearly half of the permanent waste collection sites in Rawalpindi have been set up outside educational institutions. Students and teachers of these institutes have complained that they are “finding it difficult to continue classes amid the nauseating smell of garbage”.

A total of 150 waste collection sites have been set up in the city by the City District Government’s Solid Waste Management Department, out of which 78 are outside educational institutions. The remaining dumping sites are established outside public parks, graveyards and mosques, said an official of the City District Government while talking to The Express Tribune here on Sunday.

When contacted, City District Officer of Solid Waste Management Dr Mazhar Azeem said that it was the duty of the community to work with his staff in selecting suitable waste dumping sites. But because of opposition by locals, “with their NIMBY (not in my backyard) attitude,” the department had no option but to set up these sites outside educational institutions and public parks.

Many areas, hence, still lack collection sites and around 40 per cent of total waste is collected by the department through door-to-door collection. The department has 65 vehicles and employs 2,000 personnel to collect wastage from across the city. “We have also fixed containers adjacent to Nullah Leh but no one was ready to use them,” Azeem added.

Prominent educational institutes close to waste dumping sites include Government College for Women Khayaban-e-Sir Syed, Government High School for Women Dhoke Hassu, Government College for Women Dhoke Ratta, Government College for Women Satellite Town and Government Postgraduate Waqar-un-Nissa College for Women.

“Even entering the college in the foul smell of garbage is a difficult task,” complained Sherwan Ali, a student of Asghar Mall College. A large number of teachers and students of other institutes also expressed displeasure over the negligence and “casual approach” of the city managers in dealing with the issue. They said that they have staged various protests to relocate these dumping sites but nothing has been done to date.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 23^rd, 2011.