Karachi's waste problem

The inauguration of Sindh's first engineered sanitary landfill at Jam Chakro is a welcome and long-overdue step towards addressing Karachi's worsening waste disposal problem. The development, alongside four planned garbage transfer stations, deserves recognition. However, it also raises a fundamental question. What good is a modern landfill if much of the city's garbage never reaches it?

Karachi's sanitation crisis begins well before waste arrives at a disposal site. There was a time when municipal workers routinely swept streets and garbage was collected from neighbourhoods. Over the years, this basic service has steadily deteriorated, leaving residents in many localities dependent on private collectors or forced to tolerate heaps of refuse accumulating along roadsides. The disappearance of regular collection has allowed illegal dumping grounds to proliferate, with waste frequently finding its way into stormwater drains and vacant plots. The problem is compounded by weak oversight and fragmented responsibility. Only days before the inauguration, the Sindh Assembly's Public Accounts Committee raised concerns about uncollected garbage across Karachi and questioned the functioning of the Sindh Solid Waste Management Board. Substantial public expenditure on waste management must translate into cleaner neighbourhoods rather than merely larger contracts and new infrastructure.

A lasting solution requires an integrated system that begins at the household and extends to final disposal. Regular street sweeping and scheduled garbage collection must be restored across all neighbourhoods, supported by adequate collection points and enforceable performance standards for contractors. Greater attention must also be paid to waste segregation and recycling so that landfills do not become overwhelmed by material that could otherwise be recovered. Above all, municipal authorities must establish clear lines of accountability, allowing residents to report failures and expect timely action. The Jam Chakro project represents an important investment, but it cannot substitute for the everyday functioning of municipal services.