ISLAMABAD, Sept 11: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) is hiring contractors for collection and disposal of garbage and waste from the ‘G’ and ‘I’ series sectors in the capital.

Sources in the sanitation directorate of the Authority told Dawn that the contractors will be required to operate in G-6, G-7, G-8, G-9, G-10, I-10 and the Fruit and Vegetable Wholesale Market in I-11/4.

The Authority had first privatised a few sectors for maintenance and upkeep back in 1992 because of lack of availability of required machinery and manpower to meet the demands of the growing population.

At present, the sanitation directorate has only 10 vehicles for the purpose. These vehicles were acquired back in 1985 from the then Czechoslovakia. These were left-hand driven vehicles and technology was incompatible with the local market. As a result, the repair and maintenance of the fleet of vehicles i.e. dumpers, lifters and compactors, was impossible and gradually these vehicles slid into inoperation.

In addition to this inadequate fleet of vehicles the sanitation directorate has a staff of 1,200 workers to ensure cleanliness in at least 21 sectors and other areas.

Most of the machines in working condition and the staff available with the directorate is busy maintaining the ‘F’ and the ‘E’ series sectors.

In the past, the Authority used to hire tractor-trollies for collection of garbage from the sectoral areas and its disposal at the site located in I-11/2.

With the inclusion of model villages like Shehzad Town, Rawal Town, Margalla Town and Humak into the municipal limits of the capital the workload of the sanitation directorate has become even more heavy.

The sources in the CDA said this time the Authority was keen to attract bigger and better equipped parties currently engaged in bigger cities like Karachi and Lahore.