Uneven performance: ‘Waste removal hampered by lack of machinery’

A year after inadequate waste disposal left the city reeking and buzzing with flies following last Eidul Azha, matters in some parts of the city appeared to have improved, while others continued to see offal piled up on the streets following the slaughter of sacrificial animals.

According to Karachi mayor Wasim Akhtar, waste disposal efforts had been hampered owing to the shortage of machinery, especially in the West and Central districts. He warned that if the offal was not removed before the next monsoon spell, the situation would worsen.

“Garbage was not lifted ahead of Eid and the Sindh Solid Waste Management Board (SSWMB) did not give the districts the required machinery. The institutions don’t do their work and governments are eventually blamed,” he stated. “The city’s garbage disposal problems will not be resolved until a proper system is devised for this.”

He added that though the army and National Disaster Management Authority had been summoned to clean Karachi’s drains, the local government would have done this task had it been empowered.

Separately, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah reviewed efforts to dispose of animal waste, visiting a camp set up for the purpose. SSWMB managing director Kashif Gulzar informed him that 85 waste collection points had been set up across the metropolis. From these collection points, the waste was transported and buried at Gond Pass, Jam Chakro, near Sharafi Goth and Korangi Crossing.

The SSWMB reportedly removed 51,132 tonnes of offal and animal remains over the three days of Eid, with waste collection to continue until late on Monday night.

According to a spokesperson, this would be followed by disinfectant spraying in the city.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 4^th, 2020.