Pakistan

‘Trashing’ the city’s garbage

Express July 10, 2010

KARACHI: The City District Government Karachi (CDGK) claims to have found an Rs873 million solution to the city’s garbage problem - the first-ever garbage transfer station.

The station is being constructed on ten acres of land near Malir creek and the Defence Housing Authority (DHA) garbage station and will collect trash from Landhi, Korangi, Muhammad Ali Society, KDA scheme, PECHS, Mahmoodabad and other adjoining areas.

EDO municipal services Masood Alam along with DO solid waste management Najib Ahmed, during their visit of the garbage transfer station site on Thursday, told the media that the station is being constructed on the site that has been cleared of cattle farms built by the ‘land mafia’.

It is expected that in less than a year, this project will be completed and made usable. The officials said in the briefing that this would be the first international-standard garbage transfer station of its kind in the city.

To put a stop to the putrid smell from the garbage, the station will be sealed with tin sheets and arrangements will be made to get rid of the trash scientifically.

Drainage

The EDO municipal services, while surveying the area, said expressed satisfaction at the cleanliness work of rainstorm drains in Korangi and Landhi before the monsoons.

He said, “A city that used to be severely affected by 20 millimetres (mm) of rainfall earlier did not receive any complaints after 45 mm of rainfall on Wednesday.”

Five hundred volunteers for the city government were there to ensure that rainwater does not accumulate on any street.

City administrator Lala Fazlur Rehman said that when a complaint is received of accumulated water in any town of Karachi, the government will begin an inquiry against the town administrator. He directed all the concerned departments of the city government and administration to stay open 24 hours so that timely help could be given to residents.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 11^th, 2010.

COMMENTS (1)

Mariam Shah | 14 years ago | Reply Sounds like buying furniture for a house that you haven't bought as yet! There's no point of having a transfer station when you don't collect the trash in the first place. Pakistan needs to develop a system like the ones they have abroad. They aren't complex systems at all, fairly straight forward and easy to follow if you ask me. Every house buys a wheely bin (huge trash cans on wheels) and each neighbourhood is allocated a garbage collection day. People collect all their waste in the large 'wheely bins' throughout the week and place them outside their house on the specified day. Simple as. Currently what happens is that the garbage men come on random days and selectively pick up waste from empty plots. What on earth is 'selective garbage collection' anyway!? It definitely isn't going to tackle our garbage problem. Also - one thing I strongly believe in is leading by example. One person litters, everybody litters. Try it. Next time when you're out with your friends, don't throw your rubbish out of the window, say NO! Put it in a plastic bag, often if I don't have a plastic bag I collect my rubbish in my handbag or hold on to it but DO NOT litter. See how your friends react. They'll most probably be too embarassed to litter. We can make a difference by doing the right thing and causing a domino effect! :)

Replying to X