KARACHI, March 5: All town nazims in Karachi were given a presentation on the outsourcing of garbage lifting in Karachi.

The presentation was given on the directive of Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad Khan, who at an earlier high-level meeting at the Governor House had greatly stressed the need for an effective garbage lifting system in the city, and called for its outsourcing so that sanitary conditions could be improved in all the towns of the city.

He had appreciated implementation of the system in certain parts of the Gulberg, Shah Faisal and Gulshan-i-Iqbal towns and asked other towns to follow suit

The presentation on Saturday was also attended by City Nazim Niamatullah Khan and Additional Chief Secretary Local Government Saleem Khan.

A seven-member committee comprising the DCO Fazlur Rehman, and the nazims of Gulberg, Shah Faisal, Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Jamshed, Saddar and Lyari towns was also set up. The committee was directed to submit a report within 15 days containing recommendations for outsourcing the system for lifting of garbage in Karachi and Hyderabad.

In his earlier meeting, Governor Ibad had pointed out that removal of garbage was an old and intricate problem, which called for immediate steps for its solution. He had observed that because of carelessness and apathy, large dumps could be seen in certain areas.

While in the presentation on Saturday, the participating nazims were briefed about the solid waste management system in Karachi, problems in the existing SWM system, efforts made in the past, the need for garbage transfer stations, case study regarding privatization of transportation of solid waste in Shah Faisal Town, and hospital waste management. Recommendations were also put forth.

It was said that an estimated 6,113 tons of garbage was generated in the city daily; about 5,057 tons of this was lifted, and 1,057 tons was not. Garbage lifting, he said, cost Rs1.08 million a day while Rs233 a day was spent on transportation. Some 600 tons of recyclable material daily was picked up by scavengers.- APP