Islamabad

'Leaking' garbage vehicles draw citizen's ire

Oil leaks, foul water, and overloading spark formal plea to commissioner

Qaiser Shirazi September 17, 2025 1 min read

A vehicle belonging to the Rawalpindi Waste Management Company (RWMC) is found parked on a main road. The vehicle is leaking oil, spilling foul-smelling wastewater, and carrying waste in excess of its designated capacity. Photo: EXPRESS

RAWALPINDI:

Members of the Rawalpindi District Bar Association have submitted a formal protest petition to Rawalpindi Division Commissioner, Amir Khattak, concerning the operations of Rawalpindi Waste Management Company (RWMC) vehicles transporting garbage from Liaqat Bagh's main collection points to the central landfill at Rawat.

The petition highlighted serious issues, including oil leaks from poorly maintained vehicles, spillage of filthy, foul-smelling wastewater, and overloading of garbage beyond vehicle capacity.

The association demanded that all defective vehicles be immediately repaired, that overloading be strictly prohibited, and that all waste be properly covered during transport to the central landfill.

The petition further warned that, should the commissioner fail to enforce these measures, a court petition would be filed. It also stated that RWMC vehicles responsible for such pollution would be barred from passing in front of the Rawalpindi Court and Judicial Complex.

Senior members of the District Bar, Qasim Mahmood and Subtain Bukhari, submitted the petition, noting that the RWMC's central landfill at Liaqat Bagh, near Rialto Chowk Nala, is used to transport hospital and hazardous waste outside the city. They added that all of the company's heavy vehicles are in poor condition, resulting in oil leakage during transit. Overloaded trucks also allow foul-smelling wastewater to seep onto the roads, spreading stench along transport routes. The petition cited multiple accidents involving motorcyclists slipping on oil at locations including Murree Road, Rialto Chowk, Kamchehri Chowk, and Mair Hassan.

The lawyers called for immediate repairs of all leaky vehicles and a strict ban on overloading, stressing that these conditions pose a significant public health risk, contributing to disease and fatalities.

The District Bar Association concluded that, as head of the division, the commissioner must urgently address these public complaints. They warned that failure to act would trigger strict protests, and that oil-leaking RWMC vehicles would be forcibly stopped.