CDA releases Rs5m to develop Sangjiani landfill
Official says that they were working on developing the site within four months
Official says that they were working on developing the site within four months. PHOTO: FILE
ISLAMABAD:
After a delay of nearly a year, the civic agency of the federal capital has finally released Rs5 million as a first tranche to develop the first-ever scientific landfill in the federal capital at a site earmarked near Sangjani.
The hundreds of tonnes of solid waste generated by the city every day will be disposed of there on a permanent basis.
A contract in this regard is expected to be awarded to an experienced firm after completing all formalities, stated a senior official from the Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation (IMC), Sanitation Wing.
The official said that a consultant will be hired to first geo-tag the targeted area and drill it to evaluate the water table of the site.
He added that they will work to ensure that underground water of the area is not polluted by creating the landfill and dumping around 750-800 metric tonnes of garbage and municipal solid waste per day.
With the federal capital lacking a formal landfill, the official said the entire process of creating the landfill will take around four months to complete. However, he said that the IMC could start disposing of the garbage after just two months on a temporary basis.
The land earmarked for the landfill near Sangjani sprawls over 70 acres. It was selected due to its reasonable proximity to the city — which would mean that it will take less time and fuel to transport waste to the site.
Moreover, experts found that its topography is suitable for a landfill while it is also at a safe distance from the airport and away from their flight routes apart from other socio-environmental factors.
He added that the sanitation department has aggressively pursued the landfill case in Sangjiani with the relevant authorities to secure this piece of land after being shelved for several months initially.
To a query, the official stated that the idea of building a waste-to-energy plant along with the landfill could not be materialised as the solid waste of Islamabad contained too much moisture.
However, he said the department was considering other ways to recycle the total trash generated, for which five segregation stations will be set up in the federal capital.
At the moment, the official said that solid waste of the city was being dumped at a landfill in Sector I-12, which had been created as a temporary measure five years ago by the Capital Development Authority (CDA).
That site is today overflowing with trash. As a result, its residents were complaining of a host of problems, including a constant nauseating smell emanating from it.
Arif Khan from Sector I-12 said that the open dumping of garbage in his area was spreading infectious diseases in the locality. He urged the civic authorities of the federal capital to relocate the dumping site as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, residents of the federal capital are also perturbed over the poor management of solid waste and its collection from within the city and urged the authorities to adopt modern ways to collect household waste.
According to them, the IMC was not picking up garbage on a daily basis from the waste bins placed by the corporation at almost every street corner of the city. Hence, these bins had turned into breeding spots for mosquitos.
Bakhtawar Khan, the resident of Sector G-6 urged the government and the civic agencies to ensure that garbage is removed from these bins in a timely manner, or at least cover them with lids.
He further said they were forced to bear the stinky odour emitted by these open trash trollies, adding that it was the residents who were forced into to shutting the doors and windows of their houses the whole day and entire night due to the bothersome smell of those over-stuffed bins.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 27th, 2019.
After a delay of nearly a year, the civic agency of the federal capital has finally released Rs5 million as a first tranche to develop the first-ever scientific landfill in the federal capital at a site earmarked near Sangjani.
The hundreds of tonnes of solid waste generated by the city every day will be disposed of there on a permanent basis.
A contract in this regard is expected to be awarded to an experienced firm after completing all formalities, stated a senior official from the Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation (IMC), Sanitation Wing.
The official said that a consultant will be hired to first geo-tag the targeted area and drill it to evaluate the water table of the site.
He added that they will work to ensure that underground water of the area is not polluted by creating the landfill and dumping around 750-800 metric tonnes of garbage and municipal solid waste per day.
With the federal capital lacking a formal landfill, the official said the entire process of creating the landfill will take around four months to complete. However, he said that the IMC could start disposing of the garbage after just two months on a temporary basis.
The land earmarked for the landfill near Sangjani sprawls over 70 acres. It was selected due to its reasonable proximity to the city — which would mean that it will take less time and fuel to transport waste to the site.
Moreover, experts found that its topography is suitable for a landfill while it is also at a safe distance from the airport and away from their flight routes apart from other socio-environmental factors.
He added that the sanitation department has aggressively pursued the landfill case in Sangjiani with the relevant authorities to secure this piece of land after being shelved for several months initially.
To a query, the official stated that the idea of building a waste-to-energy plant along with the landfill could not be materialised as the solid waste of Islamabad contained too much moisture.
However, he said the department was considering other ways to recycle the total trash generated, for which five segregation stations will be set up in the federal capital.
At the moment, the official said that solid waste of the city was being dumped at a landfill in Sector I-12, which had been created as a temporary measure five years ago by the Capital Development Authority (CDA).
That site is today overflowing with trash. As a result, its residents were complaining of a host of problems, including a constant nauseating smell emanating from it.
Arif Khan from Sector I-12 said that the open dumping of garbage in his area was spreading infectious diseases in the locality. He urged the civic authorities of the federal capital to relocate the dumping site as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, residents of the federal capital are also perturbed over the poor management of solid waste and its collection from within the city and urged the authorities to adopt modern ways to collect household waste.
According to them, the IMC was not picking up garbage on a daily basis from the waste bins placed by the corporation at almost every street corner of the city. Hence, these bins had turned into breeding spots for mosquitos.
Bakhtawar Khan, the resident of Sector G-6 urged the government and the civic agencies to ensure that garbage is removed from these bins in a timely manner, or at least cover them with lids.
He further said they were forced to bear the stinky odour emitted by these open trash trollies, adding that it was the residents who were forced into to shutting the doors and windows of their houses the whole day and entire night due to the bothersome smell of those over-stuffed bins.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 27th, 2019.