Waste backlog not yet cleared from Lahore roads

LAHORE: Heaps of rubbish and garbage have not so far been removed from majority of the City roads despite Lahore Waste Management Company’s (LWMC) claim that it has started a drive to clear waste backlog from the City areas.

Talking to The News, many citizens have complained that uncollected waste has become a common sight, reflecting incompetency of present government. They said during the tenure of the previous government people from all over the country used to give examples of cleanliness in Lahore and even teams of Sindh government visited Lahore to know cleanliness system for Karachi.

Khwaja Awais of Karim Block said he is a salesman and travel in different areas of the City and find heaps of uncollected waste on roads. “Be it a posh area or a poor locality, heaps of waste are on roads,” he said and added that he never saw such bad condition of cleanliness in the City in the previous regime.

Similar views were expressed by a number of other citizens while talking to The News. They said the slogan of change has ‘changed’ the City. They said incompetency of LWMC can be seen through naked eyes but no action has been taken against any of the company officials for bad planning.

Secretary Local Government Noorul Amin Mengal said the backlog of waste was created due to expiry of waste collecting rental machinery in mid February. He said new contract took some time and now the rental machinery was back and LWMC was using full force to clear the backlog.

In a press statement issued here on Tuesday, LWMC spokesperson said the company has ensured all its resources including additional machinery procured for primary and secondary collection of waste. LWMC made special cleanliness operation and lifted more than 13 thousand tons of waste.

During a special cleanliness operation, the LWMC cleared all the transfer stations including point near Sikandaria and Valencia workshop, Handu, Ghaziabad, Kotli Peer followed by the areas of China Scheme, GT Road, Makhanpura, Garhi Shahu, Walled City, Shadman, Barkat Market, Faisal Town, Model Town.

LWMC CEO said all resources, machinery and manpower has been deployed for effective zero waste operation in the city which will be monitored by the top management of the department.

He directed all field staff and officers to remain in field till the closure of zero waste operation. He said all waste containers and waste in open plots will be cleared on priority. He said with rapid urbanisation and increase in population, waste management is an important task and challenge for the department as it lifts nearly 5,500 tons of solid waste from the City.

LWMC spokesperson said the company is performing exceptionally in maintaining cleanliness in the City. He said citizens can contact LWMC on helpline 1139 or use mobile application clean Lahore for registering their complaints.