KARACHI, Feb 16: The City Nazim, Mustafa Kamal, has defended the privatisation of garbage lifting and disposal system, saying it would help in lifting about 7,000 tons of garbage generated in the city daily.

Speaking at the inaugural ceremony of privatisation of garbage disposal system at Gadap Town on Wednesday night, Kamal said the city government was introducing a door-to-door garbage lifting system.

He said the civic departments had a capacity of lifting only 4,000 tons of garbage out of about 7,000 tons generated daily, adding that the remaining 3,000 tons accumulated in streets and on roads. “The garbage lifting and disposal system has, therefore, been privatised.”

He said the city government was willing to make Karachi a peaceful, developed, clean and problem-free city. “The country’s development is linked to Karachi. If we want Pakistan developed, we must put Karachi on the path of development,” he observed.

He said: “Today, the city’s cleanliness is being started in a new manner. For the first time in Karachi, all towns have signed an agreement and now private companies will lift garbage.”

Kamal pointed out that the need for giving the system to the private sector had arisen due to the need for perfect cleanliness in the city, as towns would require double the existing resources for achieving this which might also cost billions of rupees.

“Another reason is mass-level corruption, which had incorporated in this system and garbage was not being lifted. We have, therefore, handed over all machinery and manpower to private contractors, who will pay the rent and salaries of workers and also meet deficiency of machinery and manpower,” he added.

Terming the privatisation a revolutionary move with a comprehensive plan to clean the city, he said 100 per cent garbage now would be lifted, adding that there was no other solution to clean the city.

He said Karachiites would feel a “big change” regarding sanitation in the city within the next few weeks.

Kamal appealed to the citizens to wrap their garbage in bags and put it outside their home instead of throwing it in the streets.

Gadap Town Nazim Murtaza Baloch, DCO Karachi Fazalur Rehman, TMO Gadap Imran Aslam, UC nazims, councillors and area people were present.

The city nazim also visited Gulshan-i-Iqbal Town and other areas to inspect the garbage lifting work.—PPI