Most City areas remain unclean on Eid

LAHORE: Majority of the city’s low-lying and moderate residential localities remained unclean and dirty as Lahore Waste Management Company (LWMC) put all its focus on cleaning posh areas during the Eid holidays.

A visit to various city localities during Eid holidays revealed that LWMC linked its cleanliness operations to VIP movement and posh localities neglecting areas and roads not used by VIPs forcing citizens to celebrate their Eid in heaps of garbage and stink.

One can witness scattered garbage in open plots in several residential localities such as Bagh Munshi Ladha, Mali Pura, Ravi Road, Johar Town, Faisal Town, Mozang Road, Township, Green Town, Taj Bagh, Chungi Amarsadhu, Rakh Chandrain, Baghrian, Mughalpura, Garhi Shahu, Bund Road, Nisbat Road, Mian Farm House, Dubai Town, Thokar Niaz Beig, Wahdat Colony and many other localities on far end of Ferozpur Road, Raiwind Road and Multan Road.

Leaving aside a few prestigious roads such as The Mall, Jail Road, Canal Bank Road, Airport Road, roads in Cantt and Defence, parts of Ferozpur Road and some other roads where VIP movement was witnessed, others tell a story of neglect. These roads are only cleaned properly because these are used by VIPs and officials of LWMC openly admitted this.

A large number of citizens are critical of the LWMC performance and questioned the authorities that why they ignored low-lying and moderate localities when it comes to cleanliness.

“How come LWMC ignored to collect garbage from every city locality and only focus on VIP roads,” said Shakeel Ahmed, a resident of Baghrian. He said the area was full of garbage and dust. He invited the chief minister to come and see the ‘performance and good work’ of LWMC during Eid holidays with his own eyes.

Imtiaz Shah, a resident of Nonarian said that no garbage was lifted from his area during the Eid holidays and even the local scavengers didn’t come. He said heaps of garbage could be witnessed at various points in the locality as well as along the main drain.

Meanwhile, LWMC’s spokesman said that on the special directions of Managing Director LWMC Khalid Nazir, department carried out special cleanliness operation starting from Chand Raat till third day of Eidul Fitr. He said as a result LWMC successfully lifted nearly 22,000 tons of solid waste from the city and disposed of in an environment friendly manner and in addition to this department promptly resolved almost 400 complaints. He added that making extraordinary cleanliness arrangements and carrying out cleanliness operation in almost every nook and corner of the city that includes, commercial markets of the city, graveyards, surroundings of recreational areas, parks, mosques, Eid gahs, open plots, major and minor road, walled city etc. He said that Turk contractor’s Albayrak and Ozpak also deployed their all possible resources i.e. work force and machinery in the field during all three days of Eid. The whole cleanliness operation was monitored by LWMC MD and top management of the department. Chairperson LWMC (Deputy Commissioner Lahore) applauded LWMC for their exceptional performance on Eidul Fitr, chairperson also distributed sweets among the workers of LWMC.

LWMC MD stated that department started cleanliness operation one day before the Eid and it continued with same pace until the third day. The cleanliness arrangements/condition was witnessed to all citizens of Lahore and cleanliness was better than the last year arrangements. GM Operations Sohail Anwar Malik said that under the guidance of MD department operated on a comprehensive plan of action.