KARACHI, May 13: Garbage collection and disposal process has become one of the major problems faced by various town and union councils, a survey shows.
Residents of Keamari, Saddar, Lyari and SITE towns say that insanitary conditions have worsened after induction of the new local bodies system which has become ineffective so far as delivery of civic services is concerned.
Expressing dissatisfaction over the functioning of the new local bodies system, the residents said: “the system seems to be incapable of performing its normal functions due to shortage of funds or necessary staff and equipment.”
Officials concede that they could not deliver effective services because of shortage of funds. Most of these towns are even not capable of generating funds to prepare annual budgets due to lack of income resources, such as Lyari.
A visit to some of the localities in Keamari, SITE, Saddar and Lyari towns showed that heaps of garbage were littered in most of the streets and roadsides, particularly in the congested areas where insanitary conditions posed health hazards, making life miserable for the common man.
Representatives of NGOs at various forums pointed out the shortcomings of the system, saying that the present system of collection and disposal was insufficient to meet the needs of a growing population.
Over the years, due to the land grabbing activity of land mafia no suitable open space has been lift for garbage collection and all the designated places used as dustbin sites either had been occupied or disappeared.
The situation has become pathetic in congested areas of Keamari, Lyari and SITE towns, particularly in the densely-populated parts, such as Mohammadi Colony, Baldia and in various unions of Lyari and trans-Lyari.
One could hardly endure the smell from a informal garbage dump site, while passing through a street in these localities. Most of the localities have informal dumping sites in every street and roadside where garbage could be witnessed at every place.
It is officially claimed that 60 per cent garbage are lifted from every town and union council, but the residents said it is not true.
They complained that sanitary workers never deposit the wastes in the designated places and throw it randomly along the sidewalks and in drains.
It is also learnt that in most of the areas the sanitary workers do not attend their duties and in many areas garbage dumps have been lying unattended for weeks.
Complaints have also been received that waste vans frequently do not operate or are usually operating in influential areas. It is also said that the waste vans often do not operate due to a lack of maintenance and the sanitary workers are not often available due to the fact that they take up second jobs.
The residents further complained that when equipment and manpower are available, they are reassigned to work in areas based on political priorities or in areas where senior government officers live or expected to visit or in areas which are considered to be full of potential voters by politicians.
According to the present arrangement, in low-income areas, the primary collection is usually carried out by residents themselves who transfer the domestic wastes to the nearby community receptacles.
These are normally placed along the road sides, central road islands and open plots. Then it is transported to the landfill sites.
