RAWALPINDI: Commissioner Liaquat Ali Chattha on Tuesday asked the district administration to clear Leh Nullah banks and city areas of milch animals and shift them outside the garrison city immediately.

He said that the threat of dengue was looming so all dengue larvae hotspots should be destroyed.

He said an operation should be conducted against the illegal buffalo farms as they were a cause of dengue spread apart from making areas dirty.

He asked the Pindi administration to establish communication with the Islamabad administration for holding a joint operation against illegal cattle pen and dengue larvae hotspot.

The commissioner visited different parts of the city from 6:30am and reviewed the sanitation arrangements in view of dengue threats and supervised the field staff of Rawalpindi Waste Management Company (RWMC).

He visited various roads and streets of the city and also the Losar Landfill Site and Chak Beli Road.

He walked in various streets and roads including Farooq-i-Azam Road, and reviewed the quality of cleanliness.

He stopped at various places on Kuri Road and Expressway Service Road and also inquired about cleanliness from the citizens.

RWMC Managing Director Ahmed Nawaz Gondal and other officials concerned also accompanied the commissioner.

Speaking on the occasion, the commissioner said that all the field staff of the RWMC should work with full diligence and make surprise visits in the field to review the staff’s performance and cleanliness.

Visiting the Losar landfill site, he said that high powered lines over the Losar landfill site may cause a major accident, so Iesco authorities should be asked for their transfer.

He said the RWMC should restore all damaged heavy machinery to make them fully operational. He said a comprehensive plan should be made to meet the shortage of machinery and staff.

He inaugurated the plantation campaign by planting saplings on the premises of the Divisional Public School.

On this occasion, the students and teachers present there also planted saplings and vowed to make the plantation campaign a success.

He gave a target of planting 500 saplings to the Divisional Public School out of which 156 will be Cher Pine trees.

Speaking on this occasion, the commissioner said this time we will make the plantation campaign different from the traditional ones.

Instead of planting small size saplings, seven, eight feet high plants will be planted so that they can grow better. Apart from this, special focus is to plant local plants everywhere.

Each plant will be numbered and verified by the assistant commissioners concerned. Principal of each school will be responsible for the saplings planted inside the school.

Published in Dawn, March 1st, 2023