“Where should we throw the waste when the bins get filled?” said Aslam Ghani, a resident of Pirwadhai, while dumping waste outside.
Though Rawalpindi Solid Waste Management (RSWM) is lifting the garbage, it has proved insufficient.
The RSWM has its own set of complaints. “We have not been provided machinery, nor fresh recruitment has been made since 1990,” said Sanitation inspector Qadeer Butt. Currently, the department comprises of 2,000 employees including sanitation staff, drivers and inspectors — and they don’t seem enough to cover the areas under RSWM. Besides, the department is facing funding problems.
Long distances and old machinery is another problem. Each truck covers 70 plus kilometres per day which is why most of the trucks develop serious faults. The population has quadrupled but the machinery is the same in number. There are only 80 containers (big waste bins) and 300 open lifting points for over an estimated 1.5 million people.
The district administration had earlier entered into an agreement with a private company, Waste Management of Pakistan (WMP), but after eight months of hectic negotiations, the idea was shelved. The district coordination officer Sajid Zafar could not provide updates when asked.
Recently, the government has earmarked Rs1 billion for the solid waste management of the city. But so far the funds have not been released nor have the companies formally started work on streamlining the waste deposal.
An incinerator has been installed at Holy Family to recycle chemical waste generated from three allied hospitals. However, there are over 70 private hospitals and clinics throughout the city, which mostly dump chemical wastes in open spaces.
There is no machinery to separate degradable, non-degradable and chemical waste, and waste dumped by private hospital is mixed.
Dr Tariq Mehmood, Chairman Environmental Sciences Department, Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi, said the government can generate funds worth billions by recycling degradable waste. He said that a waste bin must be installed outside eight to 10 houses and these houses must be fined for throwing waste outside.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 11th, 2014.
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Aslam o Alakum DCO Mr Sajid Zafar Dall.
I red the story filed by Mr Fawad in Express Tribune and would put my weight behind him. He is 100 per cent right. You never bother to attend the calls of journalists or to meet them in your office. When ever I visited your office, found you missing from your seat and your staff always told me "Sahab is in meeting". To date, I cannot understand what is the outcome of the meetings you are holding on daily basis leaving the applicants waiting outside your office in state of lurch.
Plenty of time, I tried to contact you on your cell and also went your office to meet you but never seen you on your seat. So, you should not blame the reporters that they had not contacted you before going to print.
Tribune is one of the serious and responsible newspapers of Pakistan and always believe in objectivity.
At least you should visit the city by yourself with open eyes to see whats going on around and avoid to blame others for your incompetency. Thanks
Sir i have filed this story four months back and thought i is dumped. It was an 800 words report and i visited almost dozens of localities, took pictures, met people, you, Dr Mazhar Azeem, and other officials of the company. I gave a separate report of solid waste status on cantonment boards. I admit the company name is not correct. I meet you in your office and you directed Dr Mazhar Azeem to provide me the details. When i asked about the status of the Turkish project you expressed unawareness. Moreover, you are responsible for our half cooked stories as you never ever attendd our calls. We daily visit your office, try on your phone, send questions through SMS and introduce ourselves but none of us receive any response from your side. Before complaining you should have review your position and relation with journalists. But after all i still stand by my report.
Sir this report was filed four months back and i thought it has been dumped. Before filing of the report i met you and you gave me the contact number of Dr Mazhar Azeem MD of Solid Waste department for details. Moreover, i have filed at least 800 words report with complete details, visits to dozens of localities and taken pictures of the city especially of those areas falls under city district government,. I have also filed a separate report localities under the cantonment boards. When I asked you about the Turkish project regarding the solid waste you expressed unawareness, saying the provincial government is supervising the project.Besides, you are also responsible for the half-cooked stories of ours. You are in habit of ignoring us. We need your comments almost on daily basis and daily visit your office, try your cell phones, send questions through messages and introduction but there is no response from your side. Once i complained that why you are not receiving our phones during a meeting with you, "I don't attend phones of my subordinates. And at last I will not be wrong to compare you with "The Proudy Chaudhy Nisar".
Dear Mr Fawad Ali, It is so unfortunate that public is misled through such half cooked and hardly researched media stories which entirely distort facts. It could have been much better if you had tried to contact me or drop a SMS when you were doing this story. You do not even know the correct name of the Rawalpindi Waste Management Company (RWMC) what to talk of the details you have given in your story. I would appreciate that you meet me at your earliest opportunity so that I can share the details with you. And would also request you to then highlight the main issues of waste management in Rawalpindi and the efforts which are being made to improve upon the system. Again, I would say that it is not appropriate to quote me when you did not even try to contact me at all. I would like you to clarify the situation if possible because the fairness demands that. Regards Sajid Zafar DCO Rawalpindi