OLMT contractor dumping construction waste near Thokar

Author: By Haider Ali

LAHORE: For saving money, the Orange Line Metro Train (OLMT) project’s contractor is illegally dumping construction and demolition waste on Qatar Band Road near Thokar Niaz Baig, Daily Times has learnt.

As many as 1,000 dumper trucks have disposed of approximately 10 million kilogrammes of construction and demolition waste at this site. According to details, the Lahore Waste Management Company (LWMC) has also written a letter (No. LWMC GM-OP-531) to chief municipal officer of the Metropolitan Cooperation Lahore and requested him to take action on this serious issue, which has not only turned the area into a landfill but also made it a dengue larva breeding site.

According to documents available with Daily Times, the LWMC claimed, “It has been observed that the orange line contractor is continuously dumping construction and demolition waste at the Qatar Band Road. This practice by the contractor has created an illegal waste site, which could turn into a potential source of dengue larvae/mosquitoes. It is therefore requested to initiate action against the said contractor and direction may be passed on for disposal of debris at the designated site.”

LWMC Deputy General Manager (Operations) Asif Iqbal while talking to Daily Times said that the authority had raised this issue in front of Lord Mayor Lahore Mubashir Javaid in a meeting.

In the meeting, the mayor replied that no one would be allowed to violate the law and disturb the beauty of the city. To a query, he said that the company had demanded the LDA and requested the mayor to direct the contractor to remove the waste and provide a clear space after the cleaning operation. He further said that the LWMC had also written a letter to the LDA and informed the authorities about this issue, but they did not give any reply.

When contacted, LDA Chief Engineer Israr Saeed said that if the contractor had dumped the construction and demolition waste there then action would be taken against him. He further said, “We will also make the contractor remove the waste from this site and dispose it of properly.