Daily Times

KARACHI: Garbage dumping along footpaths in Karachi has made the lives of Karachiites miserable.

According to media reports, the city is producing 12,000 tons of trash on a daily basis.

While municipal authorities remove half of the garbage heaps, the rest is scattered in the streets and footpaths spoiling the atmosphere and spreading diseases. It has almost become impossible for pedestrians to walk on footpaths in many areas of the city due to garbage dumping.

Trashcans are always full with garbage. On footpaths, trashcans are found very rare and people do not put garbage in it. Every road in the city is affected. Footpaths have been converted into “kachra kundis” as people don’t find concrete trashcans (Kachra Kundi).

On Punjab Colony Road just before the Gizri Roundabout there is a self-created “Kachra Kundi” which is spoiling the surrounding atmosphere.

A survey conducted by Daily Times revealed that in Liaquatabad, Malir, Shah Faisal Colony, Korangi and Landhi, people were habitual of throwing garbage on footpaths, creating problems for pedestrians.

The concept of model concrete trashcans (Kachra Kundi) has been forgotten because the district administration and the Sindh Solid Waste Management Board (SSWMB) seem less interested in making mew appropriate dustbins.

“People do not allow us to make concrete trash bins that’s why the Sindh Solid Waste Management Board Managing has commenced garbage collection from South and West districts,” said a SSWMB official.

He said that 200 garbage-lifting machines among other equipment imported from China were being used for waste disposal. “We cannot go in any district against their will,” said SSWMB Director Dr Sajnani, hoping that pressure from the people will make other councils give their approvals. He said that it was observed that people did not throw garbage into plastic bins, which have been placed in districts. We need to make people aware and give them civic sense.”

“If a new trashcan is placed at a footpath by district government; residents of the respective area go against it and scold us. “We are compelled and very sorry that we have to make trashcans on footpaths or near to roads,” added the official.

In November 2016, the waste management board had planned to sign the important agreement with the Chinese company for garbage disposal in some districts of Karachi. But no good steps have been taken that is why most of areas of Karachi are suffering from waste pollution. People said that solid waste should be collected and segregated at source instead of taking it to a landfill site that also involved wastage of time and money, besides being an exercise carrying risk for human health and environment.

“There must be a call for a major public awareness drive to encourage individual participation, create public ownership and improve civic conduct,” said citizens. Lastly, if the experience of Sindh Solid Waste Management Board about plastic dustbins will be successful, concrete dustbins will be removed from the every corner of the city.

Published in Daily Times, November 14^th 2017.