LWMC trying to provide best cleanliness to Lahorites: Noorul Amin Mengal

LAHORE:The Lahore Waste Management Company (LWMC) is striving to provide best, yet cost effective, cleanliness facilities to the citizens of Lahore.

This was stated by Punjab Local Government and Community Development Secretary Noorul Amin Mengal while speaking during “Meet the Press” programme at Lahore Press Club on Friday. He informed that LWMC took especial measures and started the journey of an operational company from a monitoring company.

In order to improve the solid waste management system in the provincial capital, its management took various initiatives which included three years contract for outsourcing the secondary collection, procurement of 6,000 waste storage containers, 22,000 uniforms for sanitary workers, 10,000 jackets for sanitary workers, 10,000 shoes for sanitary workers, formal engagement of the staff laid off by the Turkish companies, assessment of existing fleet/auction of vehicles, addition of 916 new vehicles, rehabilitation of temporary collection points (TCPs) and waste enclosures, 3,000 handcarts for sanitary workers, hiring for vacant management positions and establishment of vigilance cell for the monitoring.

He claimed that LWMC lifted a record quantity of waste in the month of March and cleared the entire backlog in routine operations. The department has lifted more than 6,000 tonnes of waste on a daily basis. In addition to that, covering and branding of waste enclosures has also been carried out for the convenience of citizens.

Mengal said that a total of 14 sites (TCPs) had been rehabilitated whereas remaining six sites were abolished and branding of waste enclosures on The Mall was done on an urgent basis. He said previously containers were provided by international contractors but the number of containers placed in the City was not according to the contract.

In order to dispose of waste in a better and effective manner, procurement process for 6,000 new containers has been started and advertisement has also been published in the national newspapers.

Total 5,369 containers of 0.8cm with four categories are required and 409 containers of 5cm are required, he said and maintained that assessment of the vehicles was under process and six parties were contacted but of them refused.