RAWALPINDI: A mechanical washing drive of Murree Road and Rashid Minhas Road was launched with an aim to eliminate any chances of smog in the city.

Commissioner Liaquat Ali Chattha inspected the mechanical washing process of both roads at night and reviewed the attendance and performance of the Rawalpindi Waste Management Company (RWMC) staff posted on duty.

RWMC Chief Executive Officer Rana Sajid Safdar, Director Local Government Sabtain Kazmi, RWMC’s Senior Manager Operations Dr Hamid Iqbal, Manager Operations Aamir Younis Naik and other relevant officers were also present on the occasion.

The commissioner said the process of washing roads should continue as they were determined to make the city clean.

He said to prevent the harmful effects of climate change, “we have started the operation of washing the streets of the city on a priority basis to mechanically wash away dust.

He said the process of washing streets would continue on a daily basis so that citizens could breathe in a clean and smog-free environment.

Major roads of Rawalpindi including Murree Road, Fifth and Sixth roads, Fourth and Fourth B roads, Iran Road, Saidpur Road, Double Road, Old Airport Road, Civil Lines Road, Iqbal Road, Laiquat Road, Rashid Minhas Road and metro bus track were being washed after mechanical sweeping them daily. For this purpose, 16 workers and eight vehicles have been allocated.

The commissioner said as traffic reduced at night, the process of washing roads was started which continued till dawn. After this, the sanitation workers take over and make the city waste free by manually sweeping them and removing waste.

He said we were determined to eliminate smog through cleaning, and in this regard, public’s cooperation was indispensable.

“We urge people to join hands with us to make the city smog free. People should cooperate with the staff and dump garbage at designated points and avoid setting them on fire,” he added.

“Spray water while cleaning so that no dust is created. To prevent smog, it is important not to burn household waste, old tyres and crop residues. Otherwise, the smoke produced in this way combines with fog and forms smog. Therefore, we all have to play a proactive role to make our environment clean and healthy,” Mr Chattha said.

He further said that complaints and suggestions related to cleanliness should be sent to the commissioner’s office through helpline and official social media platforms for further necessary actions.

Published in Dawn, January 7th, 2024