Daily Times

KARACHI: Sindh Solid Waste Management Board (SSWMB) in quagmire as ownership of four of its six land sites, earmarked for Garbage Transfer Station (GTS) has been challenged by different quarters.

SSWMA was given six land sites of Karachi Water and Sewerage Board, Karachi Metropolitan Corporation and Karachi Development Authority for building GTS on parts of Karachi.

Additional Military Estate Office Karachi Circle vide letter SIN/155/05 April 24, 2017 has informed SSWMA that 4 acres of land in Korangi sector-52, is a federal property. The Estate Office has also stopped the construction work on the site.

General Headquarter Rawalpindi vide letter 3/71/DKR/vol4/genl/25, March 22, 2017 had asked Estate Office Karachi for taking action in this regard.

However, Jamil Baloch Director Land Acquisition Department KDA revealed that under a land control settlement with Estate Office, KDA has become the owner and later transferred the land to SSWMA for GTS.

“It is out of comprehension why this action has been taken on the land that owns by KDA” he lamented.

Jannat Gul, a civil contractor has claimed that around 9 acres of land near Sohrab Goth is the property of hi company. “It is an encroached land and Jannat Gul has no possession rights of the land but area police officials are involved in this scam and avoiding vacation”, Dr Attar Das Sajnani, Managing Director (MD) SSWMB has informed.

Mumtaz Hussain, another civil contractor has acquired stay order from Sindh High Court barring SSWMB to start any construction work on 3 acres of land, situated near Mewa Shah Graveyard. He prayed SHC to take action against Sajnani and Irshad Ahmad, Director SSWMB.

Deputy Commissioner East has contended that land site more than 8 acres near Gulshan-e-Iqbal Block 19, is situated right in the front of Sindh Special Security Unit office and also near Nazaraat. The area dwellers have also lodged complaint against the proposed construction of GTS.

However land measuring 10 acres to 10 cares near Qubrustan on Altaf Hussain Hali Road Landhi would be undertaken for building GTS. Nevertheless area people had resisted SSWMB official from lifting more than 400,000 tonnes of dumped garbage on the land. Later with the help of area police, SSWMB has managed to start lifting the garbage from GTS building, said Sajnani.

The construction of GTS on 5 acres of land near Korangi, sector 26 industrial area has not been started on non-clearance certificate from Export Processing Zone, However construction contract process of GTS is underway, Sajnani maintained.

Purchase of 7 fork lifters, same number of tractors with front loader and trollies and construction of boundary walls on 6 GTS has been estimated to around Rs 42.50 million with a 3 months completion time.

Transportation and disposal of all types of garbage/solid waste (excluding hazardous waste) includes but not limited to domestic/commercial garbage, rubbish, shrub, tree cutting of any condition and from (dry, semi dry or wet) as well as debris mixed with garbage and inseparable from it etc from GTS are planned to dump into landfill sites near Gond Pass and Jam Chakro, officials of SSWMB concluded.