MUZAFFARABAD: Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Prime Minister Raja Faisal Mumtaz Rathore on Thursday said that Muzaffarabad, as the state capital, reflected the face of the region and vowed that no effort would be spared to make it clean and beautiful.

He was addressing the inauguration ceremony of the Integrated Solid Waste Management (ISWM) Project at the Municipal Corporation Muzaffarabad (MCM).

“My love for Muzaffarabad reflects a bond inherited through legacy. We are determined to make the capital clean and aligned with modern requirements,” he said.

The project traces its origins to 2016, when the Neelum-Jhelum Hydropower (NJHP) Company provided Rs262 million to the AJK government as part of environmental mitigation measures linked to the 969-megawatt hydropower project.

The funds were meant to modernise waste collection and disposal systems and improve urban sanitation.

However, only Rs66m was spent on the purchase of a landfill site and office equipment, while the project itself remained dormant for nearly a decade.

Briefing participants, Local Government and Rural Development (LG&RD) Deputy Director Babar Minhas said the initiative — with an additional Rs165.166m contributed by the AJK government — aimed to enable the MCM to collect up to 64 tonnes of solid waste generated daily, while introducing a household-level collection system in selected localities.

He said Rs232m had so far been utilised to procure compactors, mechanical sweepers and washers, arm loaders, tractors and mini-tippers, along with 254 containers of 0.5 cubic metres and 14 containers of 5 cubic metres. These had been placed across 36 wards, benefiting an estimated population of over 230,000.

The project also includes a primary waste segregation facility and a GIS-based tracking system to monitor collection vehicles, he added.

The prime minister stressed that durable and effective measures were essential to tackle pollution, terming it the government’s responsibility to develop the capital into a model city.

He described scientific planning, use of modern technology and timely decision-making as key drivers of development, and expressed hope that the initiative would gradually be expanded across AJK.

Referring to initiatives such as “Suthra Punjab” and “Safe City”, he noted that their success was not achieved solely through government funding.

He urged all departments to work in coordination, without discrimination and with sincerity, to serve the public, adding that despite limited resources, the government had prioritised welfare-oriented projects in sectors including sanitation and education.

“The real credit for these projects goes to the people,” he said.

Responding to demands raised by Mayor Sikandar Gillani, the prime minister announced immediate provision of funds for contingent staff and diesel requirements of the municipal body.

He also said a decision had been taken to relocate the vegetable market to ease traffic congestion in the city, for which necessary resources would be arranged.

In a post later on social media platform X, the prime minister said a project conceived a

decade ago had finally “seen the light of day” under his government.

“What remained stalled for years has, with renewed focus and resolve, been taken from paper to practice — a reminder that intent at the top, backed by committed teamwork, can turn long-pending plans into tangible outcomes,” he wrote.

He expressed gratitude to LG&RD Minister Amir Yasin, Secretary Irshad Qureshi and Chief Secretary Khushal Khan for their role in executing the project.

“A decade of delay underscores the cost of inaction, but today’s milestone shows that with determined will, coordinated effort and a results-driven approach, we can deliver what the people rightfully expect,” he added.

Published in Dawn, April 10th, 2026