Waste transfer station mars historic site

The transfer station of tonnes of solid waste established by the Rawalpindi Waste Management Company (RWMC) in front of the Press Club has, through its stench and foul odour, engulfed Rawalpindi's historic Liaquat Bagh, the Press Club, Fine Arts College, Gordon College, two big hotels, the Rawalpindi Development Authority, the Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA), the Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA), the Sports Complex and the Municipal Corporation, making life miserable for these centers and for those passing by Liaquat Bagh. The system of collecting the entire city's solid waste at this transfer station and then transporting it outside the city has created a painful situation.

Before the establishment of the solid waste transfer station, this site was a beautiful children's park where structures of dinosaurs and many other animals had been installed. It had a grass ground, benches, swings for children and a walking track for women. However, during the construction of the Metro Bus project, its ground was used for the storage of construction material. After the project was completed, the site was turned into a solid waste transfer station by the RWMC.

Now, garbage brought from all over the city is dumped in the grounds, where it is weighed and then transferred by trucks via Murree Road and GT Road to the Losar landfill site. This solid waste transfer station, established for the last 15 years, has subjected the above-mentioned government institutions, colleges, the sports complex and visitors to the public park, as well as those passing through Murree Road and Liaquat Road, to a miserable situation. No order issued so far regarding the transfer of this solid waste transfer station from the site has been implemented.

Citizen Action Committee Chairman Zahid Ahmed Awan, who raises his voice for the protection of citizens' rights, has now announced that the solid waste transfer station must be shifted from here, otherwise he will be forced to adopt protest with citizens. He said that Liaquat Bagh is named after a martyred Prime Minister, while a former woman Prime Minister was also targeted by terrorists at one of the gates of the same Liaquat Bagh.

Liaquat Bagh has now been turned into a public park. The historic educational institution Gordon College is also closest to Liaquat Bagh. Many government institutions including Rawalpindi Press Club and Rescue 15 have come under the effect of this solid waste transfer station. Arya Mohallah, Murree Road and Liaquat Bagh too have been badly affected, but there is no one to look after the matter.