Scrap contracts of private firms that failed to clean Karachi, says CM

Taking notice of the increasing garbage across Karachi, Murad Ali Shah has directed the Sindh Solid Waste Management Board (SSWMB) to cancel the contracts of the private firms that were engaged for lifting garbage in the city and clean it.

In a meeting specially convened on Thursday to discuss and decide the cleanliness issues of the city, the chief minister urged the local government department to remove all the reluctant, inefficient and lethargic municipal commissioners from the district municipal corporations (DMCs). “This is unacceptable! I can’t tolerate this reluctance and inefficiency.”

The CM said that though most of the roads had been reconstructed recently, they gave a dirty look because they remained unclean or partially cleaned, adding that the DMCs’ officers had also failed to do their work.

“Wherever I go outside, I see garbage lying on the roads and no relevant officer, including the MCs [municipal commissioners] and DCs [deputy commissioners], is bothered to take any action.”

He said he had noticed that some standing trees had been chopped at the Clifton Bridge in District South. “If anybody dares to cut a tree, he must be booked. I want to see them behind bars,” he said, directing all the DCs to protect the trees in their respective areas and plant as many trees as they can.

Shah told the SSWMB managing director that he was not happy with the performance of the firms engaged for the cleaning of District West. The performance of the private company hired to clean District South is also not up to the mark, he said.

He directed LG Minister Saeed Ghani to personally intervene and get the contract of the firms engaged for sweeping, cleaning and lifting of garbage in the city cancelled at the earliest. He directed the provincial minister to start removing inefficient and lethargic municipal commissioners and officers. “We don’t need any officer who is not sincere with his work.”

The CM constituted committees under DCs to monitor sweeping and cleaning work and lifting of garbage. “I want this to be done at the sub-division level where assistant commissioners are assigned to keep their areas neat and clean,” he said, adding that the municipal commissioners of DMCs would be answerable to their respective DCs as far as the cleanliness work was concerned.

Shah directed the city commissioner to personally watch every move in respect of the cleaning of the city and start the lifting of the unattended pile-up of garbage. “I’ll start surprise visits in the city beginning next week, and I’ll take strict action if any negligence is found.”

He directed the city commissioner, DCs and other local bodies’ officers to start tree plantation in their respective areas. “Planting a tree is not enough but the planted sapling must be protected and grown with proper care,” he said, adding that Karachi needs vast tree plantation and greenery, for which everyone needs to play their role.

It was pointed out in the meeting that District Central was generating 2,200 tonnes of garbage daily, of which hardly 1,600 tonnes was transported to landfill sites. Similarly, District West generates 2,500 tonnes of garbage and hardly 1,000 tonnes is lifted.

At this the chief executive expressed displeasure and directed the relevant DCs to start the lifting of garbage as special assignments and procure the services of some dumpers for removing the backlog.

He directed the DCs to keep him posted on the DMCs and MCs who failed to keep their districts clean. He ordered repair and painting of footpaths of the newly constructed roads as well as beautification of important places, saying that the city commissioner would personally monitor the beautification works.