GUJRAT: The Gujrat Municipal Corporation (MC) has shelved its plan to outsource solid waste collection as the shortlisted foreign firms demanded a hefty amount for lifting garbage from 12 urban union councils of the city.

Mayor Haji Nasir Mehmood confirmed shelving of the idea and said the corporation would rely on local private sanitary workers for the purpose.

Official sources told Dawn that two foreign firms -- a Chinese and Turkish -- had been engaged in negotiations with the MC to settle terms and conditions as well as the rate for providing the service, which was much higher than expected.

The sources said the foreign firms had demanded Rs6.5 to 7 million per month for lifting garbage, while the MC was currently spending almost 30 per cent of the amount for the purpose.

The mayor was quoted as saying that the corporation would engage scavengers to lift garbage from narrow streets from where the corporation’s vehicles could lift it.

The MC had announced in December to outsource solid waste collection in 12 urban union councils of the city from Jan 15. Five companies, including two foreign, had been shortlisted for the tendering process. The corporation had also sought help from the provincial government’s department of ‘Urban Unit’ to devise a plan to cope with this challenge.

Published in Dawn, January 18th, 2018