LAHORE: Most of the temporary waste collection, dumping and transfer stations established by the Lahore Waste Management Company (LWMC) in the provincial metropolis are causing unbearable stench and have become a public nuisance, especially in the residential areas.

The situation is worst at the LWMC ‘s Johar Town dumping station (adjacent to the Lahore Expo Centre and near a well-known shopping mall and hotel) that is not only causing a great inconvenience to the residents and the commuters, but also the foreigners visiting the city to attend various mega events.

“Look at this waste dumping station spreading over acres that has become a permanent source of stench, polluting the air being inhaled by the people in the area. Moreover, the guests coming from other countries, who stay at the nearby hotel and visit the shopping mall, while attending international events, are also being affected due to such poor waste disposal arrangement,” deplores a resident of Johar Town. “What impression these foreigners will have about our country? It is a matter of grave concern and the issue must be resolved immediately,” he demanded.

The LWMC had taken over the control of waste collection and disposal work a year ago after relieving two leading Turkish companies to whom the job had been outsourced in 2012. However, after the 2018 general elections, the Buzdar-led PTI government started probing into all major initiatives, including the LWMC, taken by the PML-N government and finally decided against extending the contract in December, 2020.

In the same month, the government, in a surprising move, took over all assets and installations (workshops, machinery) being used by the Turkish firms, besides getting registered cases against their senior officials. This led to a crisis, leaving most of the city areas dirty and smelly for weeks.

The employees of the companies -- Albayrak and Ozpak -- on Dec 22, 2020 had also staged a protest demonstration against the LWMC management for “forcibly seizing” their machinery, equipment, workshops and field offices, despite stay orders issued by court.

The companies also criticised the LWMC for not clearing their dues to the tune of Rs3 billion. However, the LWMC rejected the contractors’ stance that the machinery, under the contract, was to be handed over to the foreign firms.

The issue was also reported by the international media, including various Turkish news oganisations and the Turkish government took the matter up with the federal government.

After relieving the Turkish firms of the job, the LWMC took over the control of cleanliness operations to the extent of primary waste collection and outsourced the secondary waste collection to private firms. It also procured new machinery, equipment etc and started the operations. It also set up several temporary waste collection, dumping and transfer stations at Kamahan, Hando, Babu Sabu, Bhuptian, Johar Town, Mohlanwal, Raiwind, Thokar, Jadeh, Bhaati gate, Baradari, Saggian, Shadman, China Scheme and Ring Road for onward shifting of the solid waste to the landfill sites, including Lakhudair.

“Setting up waste stations in the urban areas, especially those frequented by foreigners, is an unwise decision as it is adversely impacting the image of the country that is already facing the worst economic crisis for the last couple of years. The government must take notice of the situation,” said an official of the Lahore city district administration, seeking anonymity.

“All such stations must be closed down with immediate effect to protect the public at large from environmental hazard. The environment protection and local government departments, besides the metropolitan corporation, should come forward and resolve this issue,” he suggested.

A spokesman for the LWMC said the issue of Johar Town waste station is already under discussion. “We have already reduced the total waste being brought to this station from various spots to 50 percent. Moreover, the transportation of waste from the station to the landfill sites has also been expedited,” he claimed.

He said the company had also started looking for a new place to shift the waste station there, because of the public complaints.

To a question, he said since immediate closure of the station would disrupt the primary waste collection operation, the company could not do so till finding an other site.

Meanwhile, the LWMC has launched a cleanliness operation in the city for Muharram.

Under the plan, a special operation has been launched to clean and wash 121 Imambargahs across the city. In this connection, Imambargahs in Ravi Town, Shalimar Town, Wahga Town and Aziz Bhatti Town have been washed.

The LWMC CEO Ms Rafia Haider on Sunday visited the sites and supervised the cleaning and washing of various Imambargahs.

“We have deployed all our machinery and more than 600 workers to provide cleaning services during Muharram in three shifts. The operation has been completed at Imambargah Rizvia, Imambargah Hassani, Imambargah Baba Karamat, Imambargah Bait Al Fadak, Imambargah Jamal Mustafa, Imambargah Jamia Fatima, Imambargah Jagir Ali and Haveli Syed Wajid Hussain Shah,” she said, adding that cleaning arrangements are also being made on the routes of Muharram processions and the sites of majalis.

Published in Dawn, August 1st, 2022