The Mayor of Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (HMC), Kashif Ali Shoro has rebutted allegations of the political opponents regarding the solid waste disposal service, terming their criticism as the 'election strategy'.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, giving an indirect reference to Muttahida Qumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P), Shoro said that the opponents see their electoral defeat at the hands of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) owing to which they have started the mudslinging.
According to him, the Sindh Solid Waste Management Board (SSWMB) and its private contractor Pak Altas being responsible for the solid waste disposal are efficiently fulfilling their task.
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He briefed that the board and its contractor have divided the city in three zones including City, Latifabad and Qasimabad from where 273,604 tons of garbage was collected and disposed of from November, 2022, to November, 2023.
The authority had begun its operation in November, 2022, from Latifabad. The work was expanded to cover Qasimabad from January 10, 2023, and the City taluka from March 10, 2023.
Currently, the SSWMB is collecting around 447 tons, 397 tons and 180 tons of solid waste from City, Latifabad and Qasimabad, respectively.
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He said that it has employed 655 staff for 52 Union Committees (UCs) in City, 546 in 46 UCs in Latifabad and 247 in 22 UCs of Qasimabad. He added that 237 garbage bins and 209 hand trolleys have been placed in the City, 303 bins and 189 trolleys in Latifabad and 113 bins and 75 trolleys in Qasimabad.
The mayor stated that in addition to the staff, some 127 mini trippers, 33 tractor trolleys, 23 compactor trucks, 10 mini loaders and two big loaders, 15 dumper trucks, three mechanised sweeping vehicles, a washer car and two excavators are also being used on a daily basis in the collection and disposal activities. He apprised that the citizens can also register their complaints on the complaint centre numbers. Shoro added that as part of the door to door waste collection initiative 20 female staff have started the works from Latifabad in the first phase, adding that the operation will be gradually expanded to cover all parts of Hyderabad.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 3rd, 2024.
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