Sindh outsources garbage collection in two districts
Garbage piles in front of Chaburji pose health risks to citizens as well as undermine beauty of the historical building. PHOTO EXPRESS
The Sindh government, through the Sindh Solid Waste Management Board (SSWMB), has signed two separate agreements with Chinese and Spanish firms to lift and dump 3,500 tonnes of garbage from districts Korangi and Central from the second week of August.
A meeting held at the Sindh Chief Minister’s House on Monday in this regard was informed that the solid waste management operation for Korangi district has been assigned to Chinese firm Gansu.
Korangi district generates 1,920 tonnes of garbage daily. The Chinese firm would deploy 2,000 sanitary workers and mobilise 500 sanitary machines in the district to collect and dump the garbage at landfill sites.
The Korangi Industrial Area will have a special mechanism to clean the area. The company would set up a complaint cell to receive and address public grievances in the district.
Similarly, the SSWMB signed an operational agreement with Spanish firm Urbaser for Central district. It is the first company operating solid waste management in European countries.
The district generates 1,920 tonnes of garbage daily. The firm would be responsible for collecting garbage and dumping it at the designated landfill site. It would deploy over 2,000 sanitary workers and 500 sanitary machinery workers in the district.
40-MW power Plant
The Chinese company would also install a 40 MW waste-to-energy power plant at the landfill site to generate electricity. The company would be given a separate contract for the purpose. Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said that the credit of generating power from Thar coal was the biggest achievement of the Sindh government and now it was achieving another milestone.
Industrial Plant
The Chinese firm, Gansu Heavy Industry, the parent organisation of Gansu Pakistan, also announced the establishment of an industrial plant to produce waste management related machinery such as trollies, dustbins, garbage binding system and such others. This industrial unit would also generate employment opportunities in the city.
Read More: Minors wade through city’s garbage on SSWMB payroll
Local Government Minister Nasir Shah said that by handing over the solid waste management operations of Korangi and Central districts to Chinese and Spanish firms, the entire city has been covered. Garbage collection in other districts of the city has already been outsourced.
The CM added that water and sanitation were an important part of Pakistan’s international human rights commitments and sustainable development goals (SDG) targets.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 20th, 2021.