KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) has directed the Sindh Solid Waste Management Board (SSWMB) and other authorities concerned to lift garbage from the banks of the Malir river near Korangi causeway.

Over 40 residents of the adjoining areas, along with an non-governmental organisation, had petitioned the SHC in 2017 against dumping of garbage, including industrial, municipal and hospital waste and its disposal through open burning/smouldering. They had stated that it was a permanent threat for the locality and also hazardous for public health.

When a two-judge bench, headed by Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi, took up the matter for hearing, a lawyer for the Cantonment Board Faisal submitted that the cantonment had neither dumped garbage at the subject area nor lifted it. However, he said the SSWMB had been authorised to lift the garbage from the locality in question.

An additional advocate general requested for a short adjournment to call a fresh report with regard to the prevailing situation in the subject areas about lifting of garbage.

The bench directed him to file the report on the next date to be fixed after four weeks.

“In the meanwhile, the concerned authorities, including Sindh Solid Waste Management Board, are directed to ensure that the garbage shall be lifted from the subject area regularly and no one shall be allowed to put the garbage on the subject land, which creates serious hazard for the residents of the area,” the bench ruled.

The petitioners submitted that such practice was not only against their fundamental rights but also in violation of relevant environment protection laws.

They also stated that the river bank was being illegally used for dumping and burning of garbage and sought directives for respondents to immediately stop such practice as well as for legal action against them.

Published in Dawn, May 7th, 2023