Illegal waste dumping a serious environmental threat

LAHORE: Around 5,000 ton construction and demolition waste illegally dumped by different public sector organisations, including Orange Line Metro Train Project (OLMTP), in various residential localities is posing a serious environmental threat.

Recently, Lahore Waste Management Company (LWMC) carried out a survey of the provincial metropolis to calculate illegally dumped waste. According to the survey, the waste was dumped by various public sector organisations such as Lahore Development Authority (LDA), Wasa, TEPA, NLC, FWO, SNGPL, PHA, OLMTP and etc. The survey also revealed that private individuals also contributed to illegal dumping of such waste.

LWMC’s General Manager (Operations) Sohail Malik said that such waste is very hazardous for environment as it contributed both to pollute air as well as underground water aquifer. He said that construction waste also adds to burden on landfill site. Answering a question about disposing of construction waste, he said all public sector organisations are already paying their contractors for disposing of construction waste but in actual majority of the contractors used to dump the waste in empty plots and open places across the city, which is illegal.

As per LWMC’s survey, 3,500 ton waste was present in the plot of Jamia Naeema in UC-172. No public sector organisation as well as anyone from private sector has taken the responsibility of dumping this huge quantity of waste in this plot.

The survey revealed that about three ton waste is dumped on Main Sharaqpur Road in UC-1 by LDA/Wasa, three ton on Main Sheikhupura Road in UC-2 by a private factory, 15 ton in Children Park near Wasa tube-well in UC-14 by LDA, 180 ton in Hamayat-e-Islam plot, Garden Town in UC-208 by LDA/TEPA, 100 ton near Green Building drain in UC-76 by LDA, 20 ton near Ganda Nala Old Rifal Range in UC-76 by LDA, 60 ton at Bhatti Chowk in UC-83 by LDA, 60 ton at Sairgah near Central Model School in UC-91 by LDA, 10 ton at Nursery Chowk in UC-114 by university, 100 ton at Kot Lakhpat Station by NLC in UC-227, 50 ton at Gajjumatta Main Ferozpur Road in UC-244 by FWO, 30 ton at Madar-e-Millat Road in UC-239 by SNGPL, 30 ton near Ayesha Degree College in UC-15 by road contractor, 60 ton in front of Darbar Pir Makki in UC-37 by PHA, 20 ton at Chah Miran Road in UC-31 by Wasa, 25 ton at Lady Sufia Park in UC-40 by Wasa, 10 ton at Chairman House Gali No 15 in UC-41 by Wasa, 5 ton at Makhanpura Main Bazaar in UC-41 by Wasa, 75 ton at Takiya Ujagar Shah and Hazoori Shah Darbar in UC-42 by LDA/Wasa, 125 ton at Mai Kammi Road in UC-129 by TMO Shalimar Town, 8 ton at Dry Port in UC-184 by road contractor, 16 ton at Mominpura near Dubai Park, 20 ton near Mominpura Pind, 12 ton at Sadarpura in UC-138 by Orange Line Train Project, 40 ton at Salamatpura Morr in UC-139 by Orange Line Train Project, 16 ton at Din Daran Wali/Wara Sattar in UC-144 by Orange Line Train Project, 8 ton at Garhi Shahu Bridge in UC-119 by road contractor, 24 ton at Engine Shed in UC-119 by a local mosque, 16 ton at Essaabad in UC-122 by road contractor, 8 ton at Shalimar Link Road in UC-172 by road contractor, 10 ton at Ayesha Siddiqa Model School, 10 ton at Nicholson Road and 20 ton at Haji Camp in UC-171 by Orange Line Train Project, 10 ton at Katcha Lawrence Road near Saigol House in UC-81 by Wasa/UC contractors, 20 ton on Queen’s Road near Gate 4 of Ganga Ram Hospital in UC-81/69 by UC contractors, 10 ton near Plaza Queen’s Road in UC-81 by UC contractors, 10 ton near Waris Road Church in UC-81 by UC contractors, 15 ton at Lawrence Road near Bagh-e-Jinnah in UC-81 by Wasa/UC contractors, 100 ton at Dil Afroz Road near Miani Sahib in UC-82 by UC contractors and 15 ton on Jalaldin Road in UC-69 by UC contractors. Sources in LWMC revealed that several letters regarding illegal dumping of construction and demolition waste by contractors of LDA, including Orange Line Train Project were sent to LDA director general and chief engineer and TEPA Managing Director in past but LDA never bothered to take any action against its contractors and they continued to destroy the environment.

In this regard, LDA’s spokesman said that LDA has a firm policy for safe disposal of construction and demolition waste and it always checked its contractors working on various projects. He said the contractors claimed that they used to dispose of construction and demolition waste in a proper manner and as per SOP given by LDA.

He said the authority will definitely take strict action against the contractors who dumped waste in residential localities and warning letters will be issued to all contractors working on LDA projects who were involved in this illegal dumping. But the big question remained there that who will lift and dispose of this pollutant from the city as LWMC’s hierarchy claimed that clearing construction and demolition waste is not their responsibility. Several citizens have appealed to the Chief Justice of Pakistan to take notice of the situation.