LWMC asked to work in Azad Jammu and Kashmir

ISLAMABAD: The Lahore Waste Management Company (LWMC) has been asked to work in areas of Azad, Jammu and Kashmir where garbage disposal has become one of the main civic issues owing to increased influx of tourists visiting its recreational spots from all over Pakistan.

Azad, Jammu and Kashmir President Sardar Masood Khan offered this to LWMC while speaking as the chief guest at the inaugural session of 10th International Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Summit organized by National Forum for Environment and Health (NFEH) here on Thursday.

The AJK president said this in the presence of LWMC Managing Director Bilal Mustafa Syed who was one of the keynote speakers at the inaugural session of the summit.

Also speaking on the occasion, LWMC MD Bilal Syed showed overwhelming willingness to accept the offer to do waste management work in Azad Kashmir areas as one step ahead to conserve natural beauty of tourist destinations in northern parts of the country whose environment should be conserved and safeguarded as a large number of people visiting these areas.

The AJK president said at the summit that Azad Kashmir had emerged as one of the regions of the country where proper waste disposal work should be launched on preferable basis.

“Lately people in increasing numbers from all over the country, from all the regions and provinces have started visiting every year our tourist spots including Neelum Valley, Leepa Valley, Pir Chinasi, Toli Pir, Banjosa Lake and others as these areas have become increasable accessible for masses,” said AJK president.

He said that resultant situation had created the problem on considerable basis of management and disposal of municipal waste in tourists’ spots of Azad Kashmir. He said that Azad Kashmir didn’t have the capacity to properly manage and dispose of increasing amount of waste.

“Then there is the issue of increasing amount of hazardous waste including plastic shopping bags generated as people of Azad Kashmir have lately started consuming general consumer products packaged in polythene packing in large number owing to general affluence reflected in their lifestyle with economic boom flourishing in the region,” he said.

He said that proper waste disposal and management practices had to be adopted in Azad Kashmir for conserving its several places serving as tourist attractions for people from all over the country.

He said that Azad Kashmir was at the verge of experiencing an economic and industrial revolution as the AJK state was part of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project.He said that one of the proposed special economic zones (SEZ) in Pakistan as part of the CPEC regime would be established in Mirpur, Azad Kashmir.