Daily Times

Sindh Solid Waste Management Board (SSWMB) issued notices to 14 civic entities for dumping of municipal solid waste other than at designated landfill sites.

Un-authorised dumping of municipal solid waste has become routine in city, officials of SSWMB informed.

Dr A D Sajnani, Managing Director SSWMB vide letter MD/SSWMB/MISC 2019/209 February 12, 2019 issued notices to Karachi, Malir, Korangi Creek and Manora cantonment boards, District Council Karachi, district municipal corporations Korangi and Central, Karachi Port Trust, Port Qasim Authority, Civil Aviation Authority, Sindh Fisheries Department, Pakistan Railways and SITE Limited for unauthorised dumping of their respective filth and garbage in nallah, river, sea side and open and other places.

In an earlier letters and reminders MD/SSWMB/Misc 738/2017 July 19, 2017 followed by reminders vide letter MD/SSWMB/Misc/800/2017 August 11, 2017, October 23, 2017 January 17, 2018 on subject it was stated that approximately 12,000 tonnes per day of municipal solid waste was generated in Karachi out of which only 3,000 tonnes to 4,000 tonnes of garbage was reaching at both landfill sites daily prior to take over by SSWMB. With continuous efforts of SSWMB 8000-10,000 tonnes garbage was reaching landfill sites.

This shortfall is because of failure of civic agencies of Karachi to collect and transport all garbage generated in city to landfill sites on daily basis.

All cantonment boards and other agencies are presently responsible for provision of own landfill site, hence they are expected to bring their garbage to landfill sites (Jam Chakro or Gond Pass) of SSWMB, but computerised record of SSWMB weighbridge shows that nill or almost negligible quantity of garbage from jurisdictions of civic agencies, issued notices was being brought to SSWMB landfill sites for disposal.

This situation raises serious concerns as it is indirect evidence that garbage generated in thesew areas, instead of being transported to landfill sites for disposal, was being un-authorised dumped and either used for illegal land filling by land grabbers or thrown in water bodies i.e. nallahs, rivers or sea side.

SSWMB in view of this situation requested all agencies to expedite and look into matter personally and instruct solid waste management staff including contractor, sanitary workers etc, to stop practice of dumping of municipal solid waste at illegal sited i.e nallahs, rivers, sea side, open plots or any other places and instead transport it to landfill sites of SSWMB.

SSWMB keeping in mind importance of safe disposal of solid waste due to serious environmental pollution and public health hazard issued associated with it, this may please be assigned ‘personnel attention’ and accorded top priority.

SSWMB is maintaining computerised weighbridges at both landfill sites and also re-designed weighbridge slips and now each slip has unique book and serial number and different colours have been used for proper identification of weight slips issued by SSWMB.

Talking to Daily Times, Dr Sajnani said 21 different organisations were working on solid waste management in Karachi including Civil Aviation Authority of Pakistan, Pakistan Steel Mills and district municipal corporations.

Meanwhile, Karachi Cantonment Board, Faisal Cantonment Board, Clifton Cantonment Board, Malir Cantonment Board, SITE industries, Civil Aviation Authority, Port Qasim, Bahria Town and Pakistan Steel Mills have also been informed through SSWMB letters that they should follow dumping of garbage in accordance with SSWMB law.

The current lifting of garbage from district south is 1,385 tonnes a day, from west 1.210 tonnes, from central 819 tonnes and from east 572 tonnes a day.

Faisal Cantonment Board has so far disposed off 120 tonnes, Clifton Board 47 tonnes and SITE has so far disposed off 18 tonnes of garbage a day.

Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA) revealed that untreated sewage being dumped into Arabian Sea has had an adverse impact on quality and population of marine life off coast of Pakistan.

that on a daily basis 500 million gallons of untreated sewage was being dumped into sea along with 12 tonnes of garbage which has resulted in a forty percent drop in marine life population.

Citing figures from a report, PMSA stressed that pollution of sea was a very important issue that needs immediate action.

KPT is dumping its port waste and garbage into Arabian Sea, Sindh Solid Waste Management Board (SSWMB) has claimed.

Hence KPT has no any of facility to dump garbage therefore KPT should bring garbage to landfill sites of SSWMB for final disposal.

About 40 percent of Karachi population is residing in Katchi abadis. These are on KMC lands and known as KMC Katchi abadis and on government of Sindh and federal land are called GOP/GOS Katchi abadis. Neither people nor sponsor departments of GOS/GOP/KMC are paying municipal arrears to Karachi Water and Sewerage Board giving.

Published in Daily Times, February 15^th 2019.