KARACHI, April 20: The city government has planned to construct eight "Garbage Transfer Stations" and Rs30 million has been earmarked for carrying out initial work in the next budget of city government.

According to the plan, an estimated amount of one billion rupees would be required for constructing eight garbage transfer stations in the city.

In this regard, sources said, five places had been identified so far, which are located at Karimabad, Mewashah, North Karachi, Mehran Town in Korangi and Shah Faisal Town. The proposal for setting up of these stations had been moved to city government's land department, sources added.

Garbage collected from the city would be dumped in these transfer stations from where it would be transported to land fill sites outside the city. An official of the city government said that around 8,000 ton garbage was generated daily and the city government managed to remove only 40 per cent of the solid waste from Karachi.

"With an annual expense of Rs800 million, 15,188 staff and more than 550 vehicles, only 40 per cent of generated solid waste is being removed from households and dumped outside the city," he said.

He said that the remaining 60 per cent of the waste remained on streets or burnt within the residential areas, thus, posing a serious threat to human health. Besides, the waste on streets was the major reason of chocked sewerage lines, he added.

"Most of the remaining waste finds its way to sewerage lines, causing blockage of these lines consequently disturbing all the sewerage system of the city," the official added. Sources said that the government decision to set up garbage transfer stations in different areas would largely help solving health problems. - PPI