LAHORE: The Lahore Waste Management Company (LWMC) has started work to implement the Clean Murree Project under a mega development programme, a project launched after Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif took serious notice of cleanliness issues at one of the most famous tourist destinations of the country.

Under a strategy, the project had been divided in three components, short-, medium- and long-term activities.

According to a spokesman, LWMC General Manager (Operations) Khalid Majeed is in Murree these days with a team of 150 sanitary workers, 15 supervisors, four zonal officers and two managers. The spokesman said MNA Hamza Shahbaz was looking after the programme, adding the LWMC team had undertaken clean-up and waste disposal operations at key spots in Murree like Mall Road, Kashmir Point, bus stand, Tehsil Road, Munshi Mohalla, Upper Jheeka Gali etc.

The team picked up open heaps and carried out desilting of drains that were filled with garbage, he said. The spokesman said unluckily Murree had not been given due importance with reference to development and revival of its natural beauty.

“Due to careless attitude of the department concerned towards cleanliness and waste disposal, Murree’s beauty has been badly marred by garbage heaps, solid waste filled drains and unpicked litter at major tourist spots and commercial as well as residential areas. Residents of Murree, shopkeepers and tourists have all contributed to this tale of destruction.”

The spokesman said though the newly formed Rawalpindi Waste Management Company (RWMC) was officially responsible for waste disposal in Murree, the LWMC was assigned the task keeping in view its expertise. Besides launching the project, the LWMC was also tasked with building capacity of the RWMC in preparing an action plan for cleaning up of Murree.

He said the short-term plan was to make Murree completely waste-free from April 8 to May 10. Then as per the medium-term plan, special teams will be constituted and deployed to identify areas lacking standard state of cleanliness. Problems arising again will be urgently addressed and resolved.

This term also includes a massive public awareness campaign at major resorts in Murree to engage local community and students from the area, Rawalpindi and Lahore. The objective of this drive is to sensitise local residents especially traders, shopkeepers as well as tourists about adopting habits of waste disposal using waste bins.

During the long-term plan, a detailed waste characterisation study will be carried out, which will later help decide the technology such as composting, biogas or incineration for ultimate management of Murree’s waste.

The LWMC will provide full support for devising a comprehensive strategy and system in this regard under the direct supervision of LWMC Managing Director Waseem Ajmal, the spokesman added.