WASA seeks to use FWMC dumping points

Floating garbage, silt and industrial sludge blamed for choking drains

JARANWALA:

The Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) seeks to dispose of garbage floating on drains at the dumping sites of the Faisalabad Waste Management Company (FWMC) to reduce the fuel cost of trucks.

WASA Drainage Deputy Director Muhammad Awais said the sewage is discharged into the Pharang drain towards the northwest or Madhuana towards southeast, which carry 200 cusecs of wastewater to the Chenab and 150 cusecs to Ravi river. The Agency has a network of seven channels, including from Sheikhupura and Jhang roads to Pharang, Narwala to Saeedabad, Jaranwala road to Satiana bypass, Shadab Colony to Arshad Town and link drains.

The wastewater flows through the vastly scattered squatter settlements with the help of 40 disposal stations pumping it into the main channels.

The official claimed that FWMC’s main duty was to collect the solid waste from every home but its field staff collect the garbage only from the designated dumping points without bothering to go into the streets and markets.

The dwellers of slum areas like Saeedabad, Naseerabad, Rajay Wala, Christian Town, Kanak Basti, Ghulam Muhammadabad, Bhatta chowk and Faizabad Flats are forced throw their garbage directly into the drains.

The FWMC management deputes less workers in the informal colonies as compared to the affluent localities and the garbage dumped by residents chokes the drains and causes stink in the areas.

The official said the WASA administration allocated monthly diesel limit of 12,000 litres to lift the silt and clean the drains but about 60 per cent of it was spent on covering about 50km to the dumping sites.

WASA Director Usman Zia sent a letter to the FWMC, calling for the identification of dumping points and deployment of more staff proportionate to the population of every squatter settlement.

Due to the unavailability of suitable state land, WASA is forced to dump the waste at distant points such as Chokera near Pharang drain and Khanuana bypass with dumper trucks.

As per the letter, the use of FWMC dumping sites would help streamline waste disposal and alleviate the financial burden on WASA.

WASA Managing Director Aamir Aziz said the hassle of lifting floating garbage, silt and industrial sludge, the task could not be fulfilled adequately, which was the main cause of choking drains.

He said the agency had launched a campaign on the instructions of the deputy commissioner by organising awareness sessions at schools and mosques against throwing garbage into the drains.

FWMC spokesman Mateeb Virk said in reply to a question that WASA’s proposal would be discussed in a board of directors meeting next week. “The decision will be taken in the light of our business plan and after a purview of our jurisdiction for finding areas of collaboration in this connection. The FWMC is always open to seeking bilateral cooperation among various departments,” he added.