Sindh Caretaker Chief Minister Justice (retd) Maqbool Baqar, while presiding over a meeting of the Sindh Solid Waste Management Board (SSWMB), has decided to appoint municipal magistrates and inspectors in the metropolitan city, and recover outstanding dues owed by industrialists. Moreover, he ordered an inquiry into the allotment of a plot reserved for a Landfill Site at Jam Chakro to a private individual.
CM Baqar also directed local government and other departments to install CCTV cameras for monitoring the ongoing work on all mega projects, so that video evidence of any lapses, inefficiencies, and negligence is available. "I expect senior officers to set up their camp offices at the project sites," he added.
While briefing the CM, SSWMB's Managing Director Imtiaz Shah explained the three main tiers of solid waste management: front-end collection (residential, commercial, rural, industrial, and bulk municipal solid waste), GTS/middle-end collection, and landfill site operations.
Expressing his concerns, CM Baqar mentioned his visits to the city where he witnessed filth and garbage along the roads and greenbelts. He said this is not acceptable and insisted that SSWMB teams should conduct weekly inspections of cleanliness work. He also highlighted the issue of contracting firms charging exorbitant amounts for services due to the absence of a robust inspection system and directed the local government department to further streamline their work.
MD Imtiaz assured the CM that solid waste management is being carried out in Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur, and Larkana and pledged to improve sweeping and garbage collection in these areas. Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab pointed out that builders are dumping debris along the roads, while shopkeepers and households are also littering the streets. To address this, CM Baqar decided to appoint municipal magistrates and inspectors to monitor cases of garbage dumping and penalise offenders. These officials would also be empowered to address cases of wall chalking.
The CM was informed that the SSWMB had entered into agreements with various industrial associations, including the Korangi Association of Trade & Industry (KATI), Pakistan Tanners Association (PTA), Korangi Creek Industrial Park (KCIP), and SITE Association of Trade & Industry. While KATI, PTA, and KCIP adhered to their agreements and paid service charges, the SITE Association of Trade & Industry has not paid its outstanding dues of Rs94.752 million despite receiving eight months of services.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 1st, 2023.
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