Door-to-door trash collection starts in Central, Korangi districts

Sindh Local Government Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah inaugurated the operation of door-to-door garbage collection and cleanliness in Karachi’s Central and Korangi districts on Monday.

Shah kicked off the operation of door-to-door garbage collection in District Central’s North Nazimabad zone, and in District Korangi’s Landhi and Model zones, along with Karachi Administrator Barrister Murtaza Wahab and Sindh Solid Waste Management Board (SSWMB) Managing Director Zubair Channa.

Shah said on the occasion that they want to clean Karachi. He said that in accordance with the vision of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, now the city will be cleaned.

He said the SSWMB has initiated door-to-door garbage collection in the Central and Korangi districts. In a few months the SSWMB will start the operation in other zones of the two districts, he added.

The LG minister said the SSWMB has been tasked with performing to serve the people of the province. He hoped that with the cleaning of different areas by private contractors, Karachi will soon get a cleaner look.

Wahab said on the occasion that the SSWMB is effectively working in the city. He shared how the provincial government faced criticism due to the garbage situation in the Central and Korangi districts, and how they faced some issues and delays in kicking off the cleaning operation in both districts.

He pointed out that the garbage mafia has been creating hurdles for private contractors as well as the SSWMB staff when they clean the districts.

“However, our cleaning staff is very brave,” he said, adding that the citizens and the media should support the government against the mafia associated with garbage collection. The administrator said the SSWMB transports 8,500 tonnes of garbage to the landfill sites on a daily basis. After the start of the SSWMB’s operation in District Central, around 10,000 tonnes of garbage will be transferred to the landfill sites, he added.

He said that garbage is gold. The provincial government has issued letters of intent to four companies to generate power from the garbage that is collected from the city, he added. “Sindh will be the first province of Pakistan to produce power by recycling garbage.”

Channa said on the occasion that they have introduced a new technology in District Korangi that will ensure the elimination of garbage dens. He said that portable compactor transfer station vehicles compress garbage inside them and have the capacity of holding 20 to 25 tonnes. “These compactors will be used in place of garbage dens.”

He said that in the North Nazimabad, Landhi and Model zones, 220 vehicles will be used for garbage collection. These 220 vehicles include three-wheel rickshaws, four-wheel mini-tapers and compactors, he added.

The SSWMB chief said that the garbage collection operation will kick off in other zones of both districts by August.

Meanwhile, Wahab stressed how the track of the Orange Line bus rapid transit project is complete, with the operation set to start in a few weeks. He said the provincial government has ordered 288 new ambulances, while the 1122 emergency service will also start soon in the city.

On the directions of the PPP chief the provincial government has ordered 240 new buses for Karachi, of which 119 have already been assembled in China, and they will run on seven important arteries of the city, he added.