KARACHI: The Central and Korangi District Municipal Corporations (DMCs) have agreed to a provincial government’s suggestion to outsource solid waste management in their jurisdictions with a condition that the arrangement will not affect their revenue transfer from the provincial government, Daily Times has learnt. With this development, solid waste management in all six DMCs in the city will be soon be handled by contractors hired by the Sindh Solid Waste Management Board (SSWMB). A Chinese firm is already undertaking the task in South and East DMCs, and from February, another China-based firm is going to start operations in Malir and West DMCs. A resolution in support of the move to transfer solid waste management to a contractor has been passed by the Central DMC. In Korangi, the DMC is likely to pass a similar resolution in coming days. In their separate letters to the SSWMB, Central and Korangi DMC chairmen, Rehan Hashmi and Nayyer Raza, respectively, have stated that since they were facing a severe financial crunch, they were willing to proceed with the SSWMB suggestion regarding outsourcing of operations, given that they would still receive funds currently being transferred for payment of salaries to solid waste management staff and fuel expenses. Both DMCs have also requested the SSWMB to ensure that the Sindh government does not deduct their share from the Octroi Zila Tax (OZT). “Expenditure on collection of garbage comes to around 92 percent of our budget and in case we lose OZT, we won’t be able to meet other expenditures,” the letters state. Speaking to Daily Times, Rehan Hashmi said that in previous meetings, he had requested the Sindh CM to provide new garbage lifting vehicles and allied equipment to the DMC, but there was no progress in that regard. “We can deliver far better than any Chinese contractor,” he maintained. The Karachi District Council, comprises at least 38 rural union councils, has also agreed to the SSWMB suggestion to outsource solid waste management. Dr AD Sajnani, the SSWMB managing director, claims that garbage heaps found on every other roadside in the city will disappear once outsourcing of solid management waste in all DMCs is completed. Among the six Cantonment Boards in Karachi, Faisal and Clifton Boards are using their own landfill sites to dump garbage. The four remaining Cantonment Boards lack landfills sites of their own. Of the 18 Garbage Transfer Stations (GTS) proposed for the metropolis, four are under construction in Sharafi Goth, Qasba Colony, Baldia Town and Korangi Industrial areas. The remaining stations are facing litigation over land ownership. However, Sindh Chief Minister has directed private and public sector parties concerned to resolve the dispute in an amicable manner so that construction can be started without further delay. Published in Daily Times, January 14th 2018.