LWMC faces scrutiny over ‘zero-waste’ drive

Pollution complaints surge in neglected areas

LAHORE:

The Lahore Waste Management Company (LWMC) is under increasing scrutiny as the city witnesses a surge in 'zero-waste' campaign announcements, raising questions about the effectiveness of its regular operations and the competency of its officials.

In an effort to bring transparency to cleaning and garbage collection operations, LWMC Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Babar Sahib Din had earlier divided the company into two segments. However, despite these measures, the overall environmental condition in Lahore has not seen significant improvement.

Sources reveal that the sanitation system is now under the supervision of Deputy CEO Muhammad Aurangzeb, but concerns have arisen due to the lack of relevant experience among the officers assisting him.

Read LWMC mobilises resources for mass cleanliness operation

Speaking exclusively to The Express Tribune, CEO Sahib Din emphasised that negligence in the city's cleaning efforts would not be tolerated, and all available resources were being mobilised to ensure proper sanitation facilities for the residents.

In a bid to curb illegal waste dumping and littering, strict penalties have been imposed.

CEO Sahib Din called upon citizens to cooperate with LWMC staff and consistently dispose of waste in designated trash cans. He also urged residents to report sanitation-related complaints through the LWMC helpline at 1139 or via social media channels.

"We have instructed all our officers to remain actively involved in the field, conducting cleaning operations in three shifts daily, to ensure that Lahore's residents and visitors can enjoy a clean environment," stated the CEO.

Presently, the city is grappling with over three thousand containers that have reached the end of their life cycle and are in deteriorating conditions.

Consequently, these containers have become ineffective in containing the garbage, resulting in waste littering the streets instead. While sanitation is relatively better on main highways, the condition of sanitation in smaller streets continues to deteriorate. Furthermore, the efficiency of the sanitation system has decreased, contributing to unpleasant odors in certain areas.

Most pollution-related complaints are pouring in from underprivileged areas, including Dataganj Bakhsh, Ravi, Sumanabad, Iqbal Town, and Gulbarg Zone. Complaints are also emerging from Nishtar Zone and Aziz Bhatti Zone. CEO Sahib Din has been presented with an "all is well" report, which includes visits to areas where the sanitation system has reportedly improved. However, during his visits to various parts of Gulbarg, he ordered the immediate replacement of dilapidated containers along the highways. He also issued directives for sanitation workers to maintain three-shift attendance and improve cleanliness on both main highways and neighborhood streets.

Also read Preparations on for LWMC privatisation

Despite the CEO's efforts, the inexperience of the LWMC team is causing setbacks in the city's cleanliness drive. CEO Babar Sahib Din has issued daily 'zero-waste' instructions for all temporary collection points across the city.

Another area of concern lies within the Procurement department of the Lahore Waste Management Company, where Deputy CEO Muhammad Fahad is stationed. Out of LWMC's 16 billion rupee budget, approximately 7.5 billion rupees are allocated for salaries, while over 1.05 billion rupees are spent on fuel and other expenses. The procurement department is reported to spend more than seven billion rupees on workshops, advertisements, and miscellaneous areas. This spending has raised suspicions of commission-seeking among officers, further contributing to a lack of planning and cleanliness within the organization.

It appears that LWMC officials are prioritizing short-term projects over permanent solutions. Prominent projects such as waste-to-energy composting, door-to-door waste collection, the acquisition of dumping points, and separate waste sales are on the verge of failure.

As concerns mount, the citizens of Lahore are eagerly awaiting tangible improvements in the city's sanitation system and the fulfillment of 'zero-waste' campaign promises.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 2^nd, 2023.