Piles of garbage perturb Pindiites

Despite trash collection being divided amongst three bodies, inefficiency remains

RAWALPINDI:

Like every other populous city of the country, Rawalpindi is no different when it comes to garbage collection and disposal - the residents complain of foul odours and contend that local administration is missing whereas those in charge claim that all is well.

The federal capital’s congested yet vibrant twin, produces close to 1,500 tons of solid waste daily and three different organisations are responsible for collecting it and disposing it off; namely, Rawalpindi Waste Management Company (RWMC), Rawalpindi Cantonment Board, and Chaklala Cantonment Board.

Despite the responsibility being divided between the three, residents of the city complain that the trash is piling up in every nook and cranny and the disposal site of the waste is making life miserable. Residents who frequent the RDA office, WASA building, schools around Murree Road, or the commercial areas on Liaquat Road, or have their humble abodes in the Arya Mohalla area contend that the main transfer station of solid waste established by the RWMC at Liaquat Bagh, a central area of the city, reeks throughout the day and hinders daily life. Family physician Dr Basheer Ahmed Malik, who lives in the area and specialises in diseases, had a bone to pick with the RWMC while talking to the Express Tribune.

“There are heaps of garbage lying around everywhere and the disposal site is right in our face but no one bats an eye on what it will do to human health and the environment,” an irate Dr Malik said. He informed that constant exposure to such pollution and smell increases the chances of skin diseases and negatively impacts the lungs leading to respiratory diseases.

“Currently, most of my patients are those affected by the polluted air of the dumping site. These include the elderly and the adolescent as their immune systems are weak.” The doctor implored the local administration to take their responsibilities seriously as it was making living in Rawalpindi a nightmare.

Senior Manager Operations of RWMC, Muhammad Hasnain, when asked about the plight of residents and the department’s inefficiency, conceded that the current Liaquat Bagh dumping was a source of nuisance for Rawalpindi’s residents, stating that the matter had been brought up with senior management multiple times. However, Hasnain also laid the blame squarely on the provincial government.

“We have prepared a proposal to establish a waste disposal and energy generation plant and sent it to the government but have not heard back from them,” he informed, adding that the proposal mentioned that RWMC requires 30 to 35 acres of land for the plant. The RWMC official was of the view that resident’s complaints would become non-existent if the proposed waste disposal centre was established.

“If this plan goes through, then the plant we will build will not affect the underground water storage in any way and air pollution will also be eliminated. Furthermore, this plant would have the capacity of generating electricity up to 15 to 25 megawatts, which could really help Rawalpindi,” Hasnain told the Express Tribune. On the other hand, employees of the other two organisations, Rawalpindi Cantonment Board and Chaklala Cantonment Board, also look towards the RWMC for support. Staff of both Boards told the Express Tribune, under the condition of anonymity, that they could only collect 500 tons of waste instead of the 850 ton target assigned to them because they neither had the resources, staff, or vehicles. The Express Tribune tried contacting senior management of both Boards to get comments on what the staff had alleged but did not hear back from them.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 9^th, 2022.