Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI) is all set to introduce modern solid waste management system in the federal capital. The new solid waste management system includes front end collection, sweeping, transportation and disposal of municipal waste from the metropolitan limits of MCI.
These views were expressed by the Mayor of Islamabad and Chairman Capital Development Authority (CDA) Sheikh Anser Aziz during a high level meeting held at the CDA headquarters here on Wednesday. The meeting was attended by the senior officers of the MCI and the CDA.
Aziz said that with the establishment modern solid waste management system, a promise would be fulfilled which was made to the residents during the first ever local bodies election in the capital. He said that existing sanitation system was only covering the sectorial area of the city while there was no arrangement for carrying out cleanliness of the rural areas and suburbs of the city.
Now, after decades of negligence, rural areas of the city would also be aligned with the urban standards. It was one of the main reasons due to which rural areas of the presented a totally different picture.
Aziz said that with the establishment of MCI, all such differences are being eliminated, the mayor added. He further said that it is a vision of Prime Minister of Pakistan that discrimination of urban and rural areas must be eliminated and establishment of modern solid waste management system is the first step towards shaping this vision to reality. The mayor further said that after the establishment of this system, MCI would head towards the establishment of first ever landfill site, planning of which is in the advanced stages.
On this occasion, the mayor was briefed that the MCI is providing civic services in metropolitan area of Islamabad with a population of about 2 million, generating approximately 1000 tonnes of municipal waste daily. He was briefed that it was planned that in order to carry out this gigantic task smoothly and as per standards of modern metropolis, a swift and efficient solid waste management system must be introduced. He said that the advertisements for invitation of bids have been floated in the newspapers. He was also informed that under new system new garbage bins would be provided at designated locations in addition to door to door collection of garbage and revamping of entire bin system. He said that mechanical or manual sweeping of roads, street, lanes, footpaths, medians, green belts and open spaces would be carried out under this system. He was further informed that arrangements would be made for swift lifting and transportation of municipal solid waste from community dustbin sites and collection points to designated garbage transfer stations. He was further informed that washing of specified roads and special areas would also be carried out. The meeting was informed that an efficient and effective tracking and monitoring of the whole system would be also devised.
The mayor said that due to years of negligence, poor-planning, inefficient collection, transportation and disposal of the municipal trash generated in the rural areas of the city pose ecological and health hazards for the residents, therefore, a new system was need of the hour. He said that arrangements are being made for recycling of household waste after its proper segregation.
