KARACHI: Mayor Barrister Murtaza Wahab on Sunday appreciated the performance of the Sindh Solid Waste Management Board (SSWMB) for lifting offal and remains of sacrificial animals during Eidul Azha across the city but conceded that there was still room for improvement.

Speaking at a press conference in a Clifton park, the mayor conceded that the SSWMB had faced difficulties in districts Korangi and Central. “But still it has done a better job compared to past,” he said.

Barrister Wahab said that he was also the chairman of the SSWMB by virtue of his position as the mayor. He said that during the three days of Eidul Azha, 113,035 tonnes of offal and animal remains were lifted from the city and buried in the landfill sites.

He said more than 24,000 staff worked day and night and it was teamwork between the staff, elected representatives and officials concerned.

Mayor says 24,000 workers disposed of 113,035 tonnes of animal remains during Eidul Azha

“For the last five days, civic administration has been working day in and day out for which I am grateful to all the officers of the SSWMB, district administration, town chairmen and the staff,” he said.

He said that the process of lifting the offal and animal remains started on June 28, a day before Eid, as the Bohra community celebrated the Eid a day before as per their calendar and performed sacrifice. He said that the Ahle Hadith people were still offering sacrifices on Sunday.

He said that around 115 people had been arrested for creating garbage by cutting up offal on roadsides.

“The critics or workers of their party did not clean the city...it was done by the staff of the SSWMB. Did you carry the offal to Jam Chakro [landfill] themselves? You just carried the waste from the houses and put it on the corner of the street” he said, while rejecting criticism on the SSWMB.

Regarding Jamaat-i-Islami leader Hafiz Naeemur Rehman’s demand that the SSWMB be abolished, Mayor Wahab said that the JI leader did not know that he was also the chairman of the solid waste management board and its managing director reported to him.

He said that this year the garbage was prevented from falling on roads from the vehicles carrying it to landfill sites. He, however, agreed that there was always a room for improvement.

When asked about water issues, the mayor said that he was yet to be made the chairman of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board as the governor had not given his assent to the law turning the KWSB into a corporation. “If the law is enacted, then I will also look into the water issue.”

He said there was a shortage of water and there was a problem of its equitable distribution. “If I become the chairman, I will solve this issue on a priority basis.”

Meanwhile, Local Government Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah said that action would be taken against those officers who did not address public complaints on the occasion of Eidul Azha.

He advised the people to register their complaints on SSWMB helpline number 1128 regarding waste and sanitation.

He appreciated the efforts of all elected local government representatives of the Pakistan Peoples Party and other parties on Eidul Azha.

He said that the SSWMB along with elected local government representatives had made all possible efforts to provide relief to the people.

Published in Dawn, July 3rd, 2023