City stinks as garbage piles up

Lahore Waste Management Company invites bids for procuring vehicles and containers

LAHORE:

After facing difficulties in completely removing garbage accumulating at over 7,000 spots across the city due to lack of resources, the Lahore Waste Management Company (LWMC) has invited bids for the purchase of containers and vehicles at a cost of Rs3.86 billion.

In view of the prevailing situation, keeping the city clean for the next three months is set to be a difficult task.

Officials linked to the sector blame what they term wrong policies of the previous government and poor strategy of the current rulers for the company's failure to stand on its feet after taking back the task of collecting garbage from foreign contractors.

Garbage piles have become visible in the city since the sanitation system was taken over by the LWMC three months ago.

Some improvements were made but two months later two chairmen resigned due to issues related to procurement of equipment and alleged political and administrative interference. Five managing directors were also removed in one year, while the sanitary conditions in the city deteriorated.

Initially, Punjab Minister for Industry and Trade Mian Ahsan Iqbal was given the responsibility of improving the garbage disposal operation but he became a victim of disputes related to the waste management company.

Then, Minister for Higher Education Raja Yasir Humayun was given the task, who fell silent after addressing a press conference and apparently shifted his focus from the cleanliness of the city.

The LWMC is experiencing problems in collection and disposal of garbage in the city due to lack of resources. It has still not been able to smoothly dispose of about 6,000 tonnes of garbage per day.

More than 10,000 garbage containers are needed across the city but only 3,000 are available currently.

Small and large piles of garbage are found in the streets of the city due to the lack of 7,000 containers. The garbage and stench are damaging the environment and image of the city in addition to bringing into question the performance of the company.

On the directions of Punjab government, steps are being taken to implement the decisions of an LWMC board meeting attended by Local Government Secretary Noorul Amin Mengal and the commissioner and deputy commissioner of Lahore.

Initially, a two-month contract was signed to clean up the city and dump garbage. Under a plan to award contracts for another year in the future, bids are being sought from companies. Tenders were issued for the purchase of 914 new vehicles at a cost of Rs3.82 billion with 6,000 containers, 57 dumpers, 28 excavators, 66 trolleys and 17 loaders.

Purchase of new uniforms, shoes and jackets for 22,000 LWMC employees has already been approved.

The LWMC has sought tenders for procurement of the machinery, containers, and vehicles but it may take three to four months for all the items to be delivered. On the other hand, it does not seem possible to keep the city completely clean due to the unavailability of adequate containers, vehicles, and equipment.

When contacted, LWMC Operations Manager Malik Sohail said the city was being cleaned using the available resources.

He said the citizens were noticing garbage at spots where there were no containers and the employees were picking it up also. "There is definitely a shortage of resources, which the government of Punjab is fully cooperating to meet. We are also working on holidays and cleaning work is being done on a daily basis."

The official said the garbage produced daily was being picked up. Tenders have been invited to address the shortage of machinery, vehicles, and containers.

"We hope that the equipment will soon be handed over to us and the problem of cleanliness in the city will be solved on a permanent basis," he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 1^st, 2021.