K & P

Land pollution: Afridi Garhi left out of Peshawar’s beautification efforts

Residents claim govt dumping solid waste in the area

Mahwish Qayyum June 11, 2015

All kinds of trash strewn across various plots in the area. PHOTO: EXPRESS

PESHAWAR: Though it seems the provincial government is hard at work to beautify Peshawar, one area in the capital area is clearly not part of that same picture.

Afridi Garhi is a residential area located at Ring Road in Peshawar, where residents claim the government is depositing the city’s solid waste.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Ghulam Sarwar, a resident of Afridi Garhi, said, “Peshawar was once known as the ‘City of Flowers’ but now it has turned into ‘City of Filth’.” Sarwar added garbage heaps make it hazardous to live and work in Afridi Garhi.

Referring to the pollution in the area, Sarwar said, “This has become a breeding ground for mosquitoes and house-flies,” contributing to the spread of different diseases. He said residents have complained about the problem to relevant officials many times. “They even filed a case over the issue in Peshawar High Court, but to no avail.”

Sher Bahadur, a loader in a local scrap godown, said, “The piles of garbage emit such a foul smell – it makes it difficult to work.” He said sometimes the government also burns the garbage there, making their lives “hell”.

The filth is putting their health at risk, Bahadur added. However, a of lack of education and employment opportunities has forced Afridi Garhi’s residents to work in these conditions, putting their lives at risk every day.

Residents have demanded the provincial government shift the dump to another area where people are not harmed.

Dumping on the city

According to a report published by Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Pak-EPA), Peshawar generates about 295,395 tonnes of waste annually. University of Peshawar Environmental Sciences department Professor Dr Hizbullah said improper management of waste disposal causes health hazards and environmental problems. He said the presence of garbage in any area contributes to the spread of many respiratory diseases and stomach viruses.

When approached for comments, Water and Sanitation Services Peshawar (WSSP) CEO Muhammad Naeem said, “The government has purchased 66 acres of land for about Rs170 million, about 13 kilometres away from city in Maryamzai area of Badabher for disposal of waste.”

He said, “Once the project is launched, electricity would be generated from solid waste,” which will help improve this situation.

According to local government website, three projects, namely the Municipal Services Delivery Project, Sewerage/Solid Waste Management System for Peshawar project, and Beautification of Peshawar project, costing millions of rupees, are under progress.

But the heaps of garbage in Afridi Garhi and other residential areas raises the question – how is the government utilising its municipal funds?

Published in The Express Tribune, June 12^th, 2015.

COMMENTS (2)

karachiite | 9 years ago | Reply Obviously trash has to go SOMEWHERE, they do have plans to clean the place, right? So why can't we just wait? Ever come to Karachi where trash is burning on main roads, like University Road and heaps are piled up in even modestly rich neighbourhoods. At least they're going to clean up Afridi Garhi in a while and Peshawar's main city and roads are very clean and beautiful, we Karachi walay can't even hope with PPP in the municipal government.

Agha Abbas | 9 years ago | Reply How is the government utilising its municipal funds? The answer is very much evident, they have been trying really hard to improve the overall infra structure and layout of the city. At least we have observed this thing in last two years that the Provincial Government has focused on Peshawar's beautification and revamping. Now, the question is about Afridi garhi. I thoroughly believe that the locals of that particular area are not showing any interest in cleanliness and hygiene of their area otherwise the piles of filth and waste wouldn't have been there at first place, there is no accountability for any one, hence everyone tries to dispose off the waste at any place. My question is where are the local heads, seniors, tribal heads and why don't they stop their local community from spreading filth in their native area? . I have seen many villages and suburbs in Peshawar that are far cleaner and greener than many developed areas and that is totally because of the local people and their efforts. For example Mathra, Achini Bala, Pushtakhara, Ringroad etc. We should try to find something more interesting and creative rather than just blaming the government for no reason.

Replying to X