ISLAMABAD: City managers have decided to extend cleanliness arrangement and garbage collection services to rural areas of Islamabad.

The bidding process has been completed and a private firm after depositing lowest rates, has won both contracts for rural areas. The rural areas of Islamabad have been divided into two packages.

Package I includes areas like Khana Pul, Tramri, Bani Gala, Bhara Kahu while package II comprises of Tarnol, Shah Allah Ditta and its adjoining areas. The contractor, besides maintaining cleanliness will collect garbage from outside every house in rural areas, like CDA does in urban areas.

“For the first time, CDA has completed the process of outsourcing of cleanliness services in unattended rural areas. This step will immensely improve the quality of sanitation services in previously neglected parts of Islamabad,” said chairman of CDA Noorul Amin Mengal.

Talking to Dawn, he said that the tendering process has been completed and within a few days, formal work orders will be issued. “There were large numbers of complaints about unattended garbage in rural areas, therefore, I had directed the sanitation directorate to resolve this issue and finally, they have completed the process,” he said.

CDA chairman says this will improve sanitation services in neglected areas of Islamabad

Mr Mengal said that there should be no urban and rural divide in Islamabad and CDA has been taking steps to provide basic facilities to rural population as well.

“Besides, this garbage collection system, we are also going to start development works in rural areas under the Rs10 billion special package for these areas. The tendering process is almost complete about development work worth over Rs2.5 billion in the first phase for rural areas,” he said.

Meanwhile, officials of the Sanitation Directorate said that in the past, a system was introduced through which garbage was picked up from rural union councils from designated places. However, this did not work out. The contractor will also carry out cleanliness of roads and streets in rural areas.

Officials said that after collecting trash and garbage from houses, the contractor is supposed to shift to a transfer station in sector I-11 from where, garbage will be shifted to a designated place in Rawalpindi.

Sharing details of the project, officials said that three firms participated in the bidding process for package-I and four in package-II.

Another official said: “The contract is going to be awarded to the lowest bidder which in the above cases is Amjad Ali,” he said and added that this contract is meant for six months and after its completion the CDA will award it for two years.

He said that technically now, Islamabad has been divided into three zones regarding garbage collection and cleanliness. In urban areas, CDA through its own staff carry out cleanliness and garbage collection and for the two packages of rural areas, now, the contractor through its own machinery and manpower will do this work.

Published in Dawn, June 13th, 2023