20,306 tonnes of garbage lifted in two days of ‘Clean My Karachi’ drive

KARACHI: The Sindh government claims to have lifted approximately 20,306 tonnes of garbage during the first two days of the 'Clean My Karachi' campaign that started on September 21.

In his daily report submitted to the chief minister, Local Government Minister Syed Nasir Shah has said that on September 22, 13,181 tonnes of garbage was lifted by engaging 1,134 workers while on the first day, 7,152 tonnes of garbage was lifted from the metropolis.

According to the report, 212 dumpers transported the 7,152 tonnes of garbage to the temporary Garbage Transfer Stations (GTS) over 848 trips on the inaugural day of the campaign. On Sept 22, the garbage lifting work was made more organised, the report claimed, as a result of which 13,181 tonnes of garbage was transported on 147 dumpers. According to the report, the largest quantity of garbage - 2,500 tonnes - was lifted from Model Colony, 2,200 tonnes from Korangi, 2,000 tonnes from Shah Faisal Colony and 1,540 tons from Landhi.

Sewer choked

Meanwhile, the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board managing director, Asadullah Khan, has reported that another 48-inch diameter drainage line at Raja Ghazanfar Ali Road (behind Avari Tower) was stuffed with heavy stones and boulders, as a result of which, not only was the gutter choked, but came apart completely.  The entire area was inundated with gutter water as a result.

KWSB staff started efforts to remove the stones and boulders from the gutter late on Sunday night and completed the work by Monday morning. The CM remarked that these kinds of actions were unacceptable and would not be tolerated anymore. He directed the Karachi Commissioner to go through CCTV recordings, identify the culprits and register cases against them.

Shah said that with the arrest of one culprit, the entire gang would be exposed along with the conspirators. "They claim to be friends of Karachi and I am sure we will expose them very soon," he said.

The chief minister said that this was why he had termed it `Katchra politics'. "But it won't work anymore," he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 24^th, 2019.