KARACHI, Jan 7: Solid waste management is one of the most daunting problems facing Karachi. Probably it is the only city of this size which has not been able to address this problem adequately.

In spite of an expenditure of over Rs800 million a year, hardly 50 per cent garbage is collected at a time, but its disposal in a scientific manner has never been taken up seriously.

If the system is properly organized at all the three levels — collection, transportation and disposal — not only the expenditure can be reduced but money can also be generated through recycling and composting. In the bargain, lifting of hundred per cent garbage can also be ensured.

These were some of the some of the views expressed at a meeting on Monday. Presided over by City District Nazim Naimatullah Khan, the meeting was attended by Tasneem Ahmad Siddiqui, chairman of the Task Force on Municipal Service; Arif Hasan, Development Consultant and a known architect; Sara Azfar and Fawad Khan, urban specialists from the World Bank; Khalid Jawaid, director of Solid Waste; and other elected representatives.

Tasneem Siddiqui told the City Nazim about the work done so far by the Task Force.

Arif Hasan made a presentation on the findings and recommendations of the team working on solid waste management.

Various options, including public-private partnership, the role of the communities and privatization, were discussed for collecting garbage. The main focus was on reorganizing and creating new landfill sites.

In view of the past experience of Karachi and other cities such as Kolkatta, Bangkok and Istanbul, it was stated that unless the roles of municipal sanitary staff, scavengers, private entrepreneurs and recycling industry were accepted and redefined, the problem would not be solved.

It was also stated that the collection and transportation of garbage could be made a lucrative business if at the land-fill sites proper arrangements for sorting out garbage, residential facilities for the scavengers, basic infrastructure for the recycling industry, and place for composting were made.

One of the recommendations emanating from the pre-feasibility report prepared by the Task Force is that Karachi needs at least half a dozen landfill sites which can be developed through local resources.

But if there is a need for a foreign loan, it can be repaid by generating revenues by leasing out land to the recycling industry.

City District Nazim and other elected representatives stated that improvement of sanitation and proper solid waste management in the city were their highest priority and they would be ready to implement any system the solved these problems in a cost-effective and sustainable manner.

It was decided that the City Nazim and his colleagues would discuss the recommendations of the Task Force among themselves. Once they firmed up their views, institutional arrangement with financial and operational plans would be finalized for implementation. — APP