KARACHI: (HRNW) Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Parliamentary Leader in the Sindh Assembly Khurrum Sher Zaman believes the next Karachi Mayor must address the issue of sanitation and waste management.
Sher Zaman noted that the methodology of collecting waste in Karachi hasn’t changed with this task being outsourced to a foreign company but became more expensive, as the foreign company has subcontracted to a politically influential person in the district and pays them to collect and dispose of the trash. The new Mayor of Karachi that emerges on January 15, 2023, local body elections must review these contracts and make the necessary changes to improve the cost-effectiveness of waste collection.
“Plus, the Sindh Waste Management Board (SWMB) must be localized for each division. Instead of SWMB, there should be a Karachi Waste Management Board that is under the control of the Mayor and KMC, with an independent board of directors having the autonomy to hire key staff like the Managing Director or Chief Executive Officer” he added.
He pointed out the disturbing fact that, officially, Karachi has only one landfill site in operation, which is located in District West. However, garbage is also shockingly disposed of in informal dumping sites along Korangi Creek. And all the garbage doesn’t even reach the garbage transfer station (GTS) but is collected by scavenger from various locations around Karachi.
He said each district in Karachi is supposed to have a GTS, but only five out of seven districts have one. Therefore, the next Karachi Mayor needs to ensure that all districts have a GTS and, if possible, expand the number of GTS.
Furthermore, the one landfill site Karachi has should be made environmentally safe for the people who work there and the nearby residents, as it is currently highly polluting.