KARACHI, Feb 12: The City Nazim, Syed Mustafa Kamal, on Sunday said that the solid waste management system in Karachi was being privatized from Feb 15 at town levels.

Addressing a meeting of town nazims, naib nazims and TMOs at his office, he said the city government had finalized steps to ink agreements regarding the privatization of solid waste management with private companies.

He added that a strategy regarding the matter would be chalked out later.

He told the meeting that various international companies had contacted the city government regarding the privatization of solid waste management, and only local companies, which had submitted tenders for lifting garbage from Feb 15, would be engaged in the first phase.

Kamal said improving the city’s sanitary conditions was the city government’s first priority, and that it was ready to bear extra expenses in this regard, “but steps for ensuring a 100 per cent lifting of garbage would be ensured”.

He said the city’s roads were being washed after a lapse of 50 years, adding that his administration had imported 28 road washing machines in just three months.

He said after the mechanized road-washing, Karachiites would feel a difference.

He said during the first phase, 28 main roads of the city would be cleansed through these machines.

He said after the setting up of garbage transfer stations, improving landfill sites and raising the number of machinery, the system of solid waste management would be improved.

The meeting decided to initiate a comprehensive drive against encroachments in the city, and towns would be selected in this regard in phases according to surveys conducted by these towns.

The meeting decided that union council administrations would now penalize those builders or landlords, who throw debris or put construction material on the roads.—PPI