As if the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation’s proposal to collect two of its key taxes through monthly electricity bills was not enough to cause concern among the Karachiites, another plan has been prepared to levy a fee on the residents on account of waste disposal work, and for the purpose the billing system of the gas utility could be utilised.
The proposal came under discussion at a meeting of Sindh Solid Waste Management Board (SSWMB) held on Wednesday with Local Government Minister Syed Nasir Hussain in the chair. It has been discussed when an overwhelming number of citizens are seriously dissatisfied with the waste disposal work in their lcoalities. The participants of the meeting were informed that a letter had been sent to the Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) so that its billing system could be utilised for collecting the fee for the SSWMB services.
The proposal says that a monthly fee of Rs100, Rs200, and Rs300 could be collected from each household, depending upon the locality where the residence is situated, for waste collection work. The meeting was told that the SSWMB could look for similar means of revenue generation on account of its waste disposal work in industrial estates and cantonment areas of the city.
It decided that the SSWMB would start offering its waste collection services in District Korangi and District Central of Karachi, and District Larkana by the end of October. The tenders will be issued in the current month so that the board could start its waste disposal services in Sukkur, Rohri and Hyderabad.
The meeting also accorded approval to doing the remaining work on account of a development scheme of building garbage transfer stations in Karachi on the scientific lines. It also decided that the SSWMB would start its work in Gulshan-e-Hadeed, Steel Town and the adjacent areas of District Malir.
The meeting took into consideration the proposals received to launch waste-to-energy projects in Sindh to consume municipal waste for clean energy generation. The proposals received for providing consultancy services for waste-to-energy projects also came into consideration at the meeting, which decided to offer special financial privileges to the employees of the SSWMB in case of pilgrimage, illness, death and burial.