CM Murad grants DMCs Rs88m to carry out cleanliness work

Issues directives for sustainable cleanliness measures in the city

KARACHI: In a bid to make the month-long Clean My Karachi campaign drive sustainable, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah ordered the disbursal of Rs88 million on Tuesday to three district municipal corporations (DMCs) and the Karachi district council to get their machinery repaired and begin cleanliness work.

Presiding over a meeting to review the results of the month-long cleanliness drive that ended on October 21, the CM said that the Sindh Solid Waste Management Board (SSWMB) was working in three districts - South, East and Malir, and hence it was responsible for cleanliness in these areas. Funds were released for Korangi, Central and West district DMCs as well as the district council so the DMCs could begin work in their respective areas.

Shah directed to release Rs17 million for Korangi district, Rs22m for West, Rs37m for Central district and Rs12m for the Karachi District Council.

Sindh Chief Secretary Mumtaz Ali Shah, Information, Archives and Labour Minister Saeed Ghani, Local Government Minister Nasir Shah, Adviser to CM Barrister Murtaza Wahab, Principal Secretary to CM Sajid Jamal Abro, Karachi Commissioner Iftikhar Shalwani, Local Government Secretary Roshan Shaikh, SSWMB Managing Director Asif Ikram, Karachi Water and Sewerage Board Managing Director Asadullah Khan, all deputy commissioners and chairpersons of the DMCs attended the meeting.

Promises, promises: Karachi not so clean after CM’s hyped-up drive

The CM directed SSWMB to take action against the Chinese firms, which were contracted to pick up garbage if they fail to deliver. "The provincial government is paying the [Chinese] firms, therefore, the work must be done to the satisfaction of citizens". He told the meeting that the firms went on strike after the month-long campaign ended. "This is a deliberate attempt to turn the city filthy once again which is not acceptable at any cost," said the CM.

The CM further directed the DMC chairpersons to delegate sweeping and front-end collection work to the union council level as the union councils are smaller units and the relevant staff, and union council chairpersons can ensure proper cleaning in their respective areas easily. Supervision work, on the other hand, was assigned to DMC chairpersons.

Meanwhile, the deputy commissioners were directed to declare 'model areas' for cleanliness and hygiene and to keep expanding the parameters of these areas.

The CM said that he was still receiving complaints of shopkeepers and restaurants throwing their trash on the roads. He directed the deputy commissioners to warn market associations and then begin taking action against delinquents. Similarly, the meeting decided to bound builders to dispose of their debris and construction material at their own expense or pay a fine on it.

The deputy commissioners and DMC chairpersons were further directed to develop at least two garbage transfer stations (GTS) in their respective districts.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 30^th, 2019.