Daily Times

KARACHI: The Supreme Court of Pakistan, Karachi Registry on Saturday turned down a review petition filed by the Sindh Solid Waste Management Board (SSWMB) against the apex court’s earlier order directing the board to close down its operations.

In the petition filed by SSWMB Managing Director Attar Das Sajnani, the court had been requested to review its March 16, 2017 decision. The SC had then directed SSWMB to close down its activities due to its persistent poor performance in collection and disposal of garbage. This responsibility was transferred to the district administrations of Sindh, including in Karachi.

The SC had expressed serious reservations over the continuation of SSWMB activities in this respect, and observed that entity had failed to deliver in any part of Sindh, including in Karachi.

“The Sindh government should continue to play its role for the same work,” the SC had maintained.

“Experiments should end now. The nonfunctional board, which has never performed should be dissolved by transferring its functions to local bodies as provided under Rules of Business. In doing this, agonies of residents of cities will be minimised. It will also save Sindh government from wasting public money of which, Sindh government is trustee,” the SC observed.

“The Sindh government will now take appropriate measures in order to comply with SC orders along with steps to be taken in streamlining the matter of SSWMB and alternate arrangements,” Sajnani said.

Sajnani said that the order of Sc would be followed in true spirit. “We will try to resolve this matter in a resolute manner without harming garbage collection and disposal. We had failed in raising public awareness and building of garbage transfer stations. However, we would try to resolve these issues,” Sajnani said.

Commenting on this decision of SC, Karachi Mayor Waseem Akthar said that the job would now come in the hands of district municipal committees.

“After five years of its existence, the SSWMB has done nothing except for building infrastructure in Karachi. It failed to do any concrete work in parts of Sindh. The board’s activities were zero,” Wassem said.

“This job was not meant for the Sindh government by any means. As under the local body laws, the municipal districts are responsible to collect and dispose of garbage in their respective precincts,” he added.

“At present east and south district administrations are carrying this job on an agreed accord with a Chinese garbage company. The west district will start this job after completion of arrangements with a Chinese company. Malir district is performing this job with the help of a Chinese firm,” SSWMB officials said.

Published in Daily Times, January 28^th 2018.