‘Clean My Karachi’ campaign ends with 979,941 tonnes of garbage collected

CM modernises solid waste management system, establishes a citizens complaints redressal system

KARACHI: The month-long 'Clean My Karachi' campaign ended on Monday with 979,941 tonnes of garbage lifted from the city. This effort would continue, however, in the form of collective responsibility of all stakeholders, said Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah while reviewing the progress of the campaign.

Local Government Minister Syed Nasir Shah, Principle Secretary to CM Sajid Jamal Abro, Local Government Secretary Roshan Shaikh, Karachi Commissioner Iftikhar Shalwani, Sindh Solid Waste Management Authority (SSWMA) Managing Director Asif Ikram, CM House Additional Secretary Fayaz Jatoi and others attended the meeting.

The local government minister briefed the CM on the campaign.

What led us here

The meeting was briefed on the backdrop against which this campaign was carried out. Officials told the CM that with a population of at least 23 million, Karachi produces 14,000 to 16,000 tonnes of solid waste on a daily basis. There are 20 plus agencies including the cantonment boards, Port Qasim Authority, district municipal corporations and the SSWM that are trying to manage this waste in the city.

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

The primary responsibility of solid waste management lies with local councils in the administrative jurisdiction of the provincial government. The Sindh government has consistently increased the budget of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation and the DMCs.

The CM said that the total outlay of the DMCs in 2013-14 was Rs5,743 million which was increased to Rs13,792 million. However, solid waste management remained sub-optimal. Therefore, to augment the performance on solid waste management, the government established the Sindh Solid Waste Management Board (SWMB) through an Act passed by the Assembly and later, it entered into a seven-year management contract with Chinese companies in four districts at the cost of $52 million.

Before the establishment of SWMB, the total solid waste transferred to landfill sites was not more than 5,000 tonnes per day. However, after its establishment, the figure reached to 13,000 tonnes per day. The meeting was told that a backlog of garbage still continued to accumulate, especially in the districts where SWMB operations did not extend. These are Central, Korangi and West.

Campaign reviewed

During the 'Clean My Karachi' campaign, which began on September 21, 2019, the deputy commissioners of all six districts were directed to spearhead the efforts for clearing the backlog. Around 62 temporary garbage transferring stations were established. As of October 20 the estimated amount of solid waste collected at these sites was 370,504 tonnes which included 13,790 from South district, 52,152 from East district, 24,292 from Malir district, 93,630 from Korangi district, 96, 705 from West district and 89,935 Central district.

Out of the 370,504 tonnes of garbage, 295, 563 tonnes have been disposed of at the landfill sites by SWMB. The amount of garbage disposed of lifted from South district is 14,628, from the East district 27, 294 was disposed while 11,005 from Malir district, 64,833 from Korangi, 95,126 from West and 82,677 from Central district.

It was mentioned at the meeting that 82 per cent of the solid waste was collected from the districts where SWMB was not working.

‘Clean Karachi’ campaign will continue, says Zaidi

The SWMB claimed to have disposed of 154, 437 tonnes of solid waste from three districts since September 21. Along with SWMB's regular activity the total waste collected was 464,390.21 tonnes.

Way forward

The CM proposed long-term and short-term plans for solid waste management in the city.

These included expediting 13 schemes of the annual development plan which are reflected in the budget. More focus is to be given to two schemes, namely, the establishment of six garbage transfer stations with material recovery and refuse derived fuel, and the scientific improvement and development of the existence landfill sites. These schemes have an estimated cost of Rs2.8 billion of which Rs1 billion has been allocated this year.

Part of the proposed waste management plan is the development of a landfill site at Dhabeji for which the allotment of 3,000 acres of land is under process with the board of revenue. The CM directed board of revenue's senior member to expedite the allotment.

He also directed the SSWMA to modernise the solid waste management system as well as establish a citizens complaints redressal system. A GIS mapping system of dump sites and kachra kundis may also be developed under this.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 22^nd, 2019.