KARACHI: Community participation must for a cleaner city
KARACHI, April 29: The people of Karachi whether living in posh localities or katchi abadis have one trait in common and that is throwing of garbage on streets and roads.
Despite spending billions on sanitary workers and vehicles, purchase of modern machinery, privatisation of garbage disposal system this economic hub of the country has yet to get a clean and fresh look. Heaps of garbage, chocking gutters and littered streets not only give the city an uncivilised look but also pose risks to human health and the environment.
One may blame this sorrowful state of affairs on a number of factors like rampant corruption and kickbacks, poor management and deep-rooted political influence in administrative affairs, besides there is a major missing link, the lack of community participation in garbage disposal.
The collection of waste generated by the rapidly expanding cities like Karachi is increasingly beyond the capacity and financial means of the municipal administrations. In this backdrop, it is imperative to improve collection coverage through community-based schemes involving the local communities in proper waste storage, collection, sorting, and recycling activities through information, education and motivation.
Self-help and use of community participation may, in many cases, is the only way of solving the waste collection problems. Community-based solid waste management projects are activities carried out by members of communities to clean up their neighbourhood and/or to earn an income from solid waste. Such community management is desirable for both ideological and practical reasons.
From the ideological point of view men and women take decisions regarding their own lives and from the practical point of view the service will be more efficient and effective if it is in line with the local needs and conditions, and with the priorities and capacities of the men and women concerned. Thirdly, the solid waste services will cover a larger population, if community, private as well as public resources are mobilised.
For keeping the city clean, citizens need pr0oper sanitation behaviours as well. They should fully cooperate with garbage collection teams in matters like depositing garbage to communal collection points for transfer, storing home garbage in plastic bags, bin or container; and keeping their houses and immediate environment like drains, streets in front of their houses, etc, clean. It is also recommended that citizens should classify the waste as organic and inorganic, wet and dry, keep plastic, paper etc. apart, and compost the organic fraction in own backyards.
For the success of a community-based garbage collection system, cooperation of womenfolk is essential as they are responsible for home keeping and its immediate environment clean. So disposal of waste is one of their daily tasks. Furthermore, women are the first and foremost users of urban services such as water supply, sanitation, waste collection. This role of women makes them ideal beneficiaries of solid waste management projects.
Youth also can play a special part in solid waste management. Children often help their mother with her daily tasks such as bringing waste to the communal collection point.
Karachi generates more than 10,000 metric tones of solid waste daily of which 80 to 90 per cent is recyclable but hardly half of it is lifted and shifted to landfill sites. It is said that for a relatively cleaner look of the city at least 75 per cent collection of its garbage is a must. There is no proper state-run system to recycle garbage, but informal private sector (junk-sellers and scavengers) collect recyclable garbage including paper, cardboard, glass, bones, plastics, polythene, tins, metals, rubber, waste oil, etc.
These objectives can only be achieved through education, awareness and training. The present litter-happy culture can only be changed through concerted efforts. The city government should launch a massive campaign to raise awareness about proper garbage disposal with active cooperation of the union councils.—PPI
