Islamabad Expressway truns into dumping site

Commuters say CDA's overloaded garbage trucks spill litter onto road.

ISLAMABAD:

The Islamabad Expressway, the city's major artery, has become a daily dumping ground as overloaded and improperly covered waste management trucks from the Capital Development Authority (CDA) spill litter onto the road. The situation creates hazardous conditions, particularly for motorcyclists.

With around 1,200 tonnes of garbage generated daily in the capital, the CDA's mismanagement of waste disposal has frustrated commuters, who are forced to endure the unsanitary, foul-smelling environment that poses serious health risks. Urgent calls for action have been made to address this growing problem.

The annoyed commuters have expressed their outrage on this situation. Talking to the media, Ahmed Khan, a bank official who travels from Model Town Hummak to Melody Islamabad said, "I can't believe this is what our city has come to. Every day, it's like driving through a pungent trash dump."

Another commuter, Bilal Ahmed, a government employee who goes to work on his motorcycle recounted experience. "On a rainy day, I got splattered with garbage on my way home. And it was a nightmare. I had to take a bath and change clothes as soon as I got home, and I lost my appetite for days because of it."

"Despite numerous complaints, there seems to be little response from the civic body. Their failure to enforce proper waste management protocols raises questions about their commitment to public health and safety. Commuters continue to experience unpleasant odors and hazardous conditions. "It's unacceptable," said Zahid Shah, who commutes daily from Sihala to F-7 and vice versa.

The authority currently collects garbage from the city and temporarily dumps it at I-11 before transporting it to Losar. They are also working on establishing a proper transfer station at I-9, expected to be completed in six months. The CDA has frequently proposed setting up a "scientific landfill" site, only to change plans later.

They are now looking to acquire land in Losar after negotiations with the Rawalpindi administration. However, they have relied on temporary arrangements due to the unavailability of a landfill site in Islamabad. This lack of a proper landfill has even been brought before the Islamabad High Court, which directed the authority to resolve the issue, underscoring the urgent need for a sustainable solution.

An official of Sanitation Department in a recent statement to media had said that they were in talks to procure land in Losar for a proper landfill site, noting that the board had approved a six-month extension with Rawalpindi Waste Management Company for this purpose.

Last year, the CDA proposed sites at Kuri and Dhoke Jando near Nicholson's Monument, but previous proposals have faced rejection. The lack of a landfill site has even been brought before the Islamabad High Court, which directed the CDA to resolve the issue. "It is unfortunate that a city of around three million people has no proper landfill," said a lawyer involved in the case, emphasising the environmental and health risks.

An official from the CDA mentioned that the agency spends over Rs2 billion annually on waste management. If a proper landfill site were developed, it could potentially generate revenue through waste-to-energy projects. Previously, the CDA dumped garbage in the residential area of I-12 until a court ruling in 2022 shifted outside residential zones.

In the past, the CDA had chosen a site at Kuri village based on recommendations from international consultants, but this project was shelved in 2011, allegedly to appease housing scheme owners. Since then, the civic agency has moved temporary landfill sites from one location to another.