KARACHI, Jan 12: City government has identified four places to construct garbage transfer stations in the city and work is expected to begin soon in this regard.

City government sources informed PPI that these stations would be fully covered to restrict the spread of garbage particles in the atmosphere. The four places, where these station were planned to be built, included Korangi Tannery Treatment Plant, Asphalt and Sewerage Plant, Mewa Shah, National Construction Office, Nazimabad and in Gulshan-e-Iqbal, the sources said.

One more station would be constructed in North Nazimabad, however, place for it was yet to be identified, they added. Garbage accumulated from different parts of the city would be dumped in these stations, from where it would be shifted to landfill site, located in Jam Chakro, Gadap Town, through covered containers.

These containers would help overcome the problem of falling of garbage from the vehicles, while being shifted to landfill site for dumping. At present, with an annual expense of Rs800 million, 15,188 staff and more than 500 vehicles involved in lifting and shifting the garbage, only 40 per cent of the 8000 tonnes solid waste was dumped outside the city, the sources said.

The remaining 60 per cent waste was left on streets or was burnt within residential areas, thus posing a serious threat to human health. Most of the left garbage found its way into sewerage lines and drainage system, resulting in choking of these lines, they added. Changes would be made in the garbage transfer stations, once Waste-to-Energy project, currently underway, was completed, an official said.-PPI