GUJRAT: Two waste management companies of the region are being assigned the task of lifting solid waste in entire Gujranwala region comprising seven districts.

Agreements between the Gujranwala Waste Management Company (GWMC) and Sialkot Waste Management Company (SWMC) with the district councils, metropolitan corporations, municipal committees and district councils of the region are being processed, said Naveed Haider Sheerazi, the Gujranwala commissioner, who also holds the additional charge of the Gujrat division.

He said the lifting of solid waste would be outsourced in the entire region and all the deputy commissioners had been told to complete the outsourcing within the stipulated time.

However, he said until the completion of agreements, the district councils and municipalities would continue to perform the duty of waste lifting from their respective areas.

It is learnt that the commissioner also held a video link meeting with senior officials of the respective district administrations in the region.

Official sources said the GWMC could be given the contract for Gujrat, Mandi Bahauddin, Hafizabad and Wazirabad districts whereas the SWMC would perform the assignment in Sialkot and Narowal districts.

A one-month long zero waste drive concluded in Sialkot district on October 11 (Friday) during which the district council utilised all its resources to lift the solid waste mainly from the rural areas.

Punjab Land Record Authority (PLRA) Chairman Tariq Subhani chaired a meeting to review the cleanliness drive in Sialkot district which was also participated by DC Muhammad Zulqarnain, chief officer (CO) of district council Fida Iftikhar Mir and other senior officials.

Briefing the participants, the CO said that at least 1190 sanitary workers took part in the zero waste drive while 356 loader rickshaws were also utilised for lifting the solid waste in rural areas.

He said that the sanitary staff went door to door in the villages and so far more than 30,000 metric tons solid waste had been lifted and transported to the landfill sites through dumpers.

Mr Subhani expressed his satisfaction over the drive and directed the authorities to ensure the cleaning of the rural as well as urban areas of Sialkot district.

Published in Dawn, October 12th, 2024