Overflowing garbage bins afflicting Rawalpindi city

The garbage bins placed on some of the busiest streets in Rawalpindi like Raja Bazaar, Liaquat Road, College Road, Iqbal Road, Kashmiri Bazaar, and Jamia Masjid Road have become useless as they are usually overflowing with trash.

“A big contributor to the problem is the residents who throw trash in the streets. I wish my thirty years old neighbour would throw baby's diapers in the garbage bin; instead, she just throws them in the neighbouring vacant plot from the third floor of her house. We can get as much garbage cans as we want, but we are still stuck with idiots like my next-door neighbour," comments Saima Ali.

“Use of the garbage bin by residents is a must. People who see no space in the garbage bin where they live tend to drop their garbage outside the garbage bin on their way to work early in the morning,” says Fida Ali.

“The solution is increasing the rates at which the Rawalpindi Waste Management Company (RWMC) picks up the trash. The issue is not about a lack of garbage cans, but the huge quantity of people living in small areas. You cannot keep up with the garbage and stay on top of it unless the civic bodies are constantly picking up the trash,” adds Fida. “Let me make the point that sanitation is a partnership between the city’s civic bodies and its residents, so people must also do their part to keep the streets clean. You can bring in as many of these sweepers as you want but without the partnership, it will still be an issue. People should not be throwing household trash into street corners. Be more vigilant when throwing trash out of car windows as well,” says Bint-e-Fatima.

Hamid Hasan, the supervisor working in Fazal Town Phase-I has made it his business to alleviate the overflowing of the garbage cans and the litter in the streets. “When it comes to littering, I happen to be a clean freak. I want the area to look the same way as I treat the cleanliness of my house. I’m very keen to keep the streets clean”, adds Hamid. “I see Hamid Hasan ordering sweepers every so often to pick up trash around the commercial area of Butt Market. He has also increased street sweeping hours in the locality and sends out manual litter patrol, which consists of his team members who patrol areas around and survey the streets,” says Nusrat Naqvi, an area resident.

“Of course, there should be a fine for discarding residential trash in the street, but the fine can’t be imposed unless the RWMC guy watches someone throwing the trash. Obviously, no member of RWMC can watch every garbage throwing culprit at all times,” laments Nusrat.