ISLAMABAD: Cleanliness arrangements in rural areas of Islamabad are disrupted as the Capital Development Authority (CDA) has failed to address the issue. Garbage can be seen left unattended along many roads and streets.

In the absence of any system in place in the rural areas, residents dispose of garbage in the open spaces and nullahs. The CDA occasionally carry out secondary collection of garbage from some rural areas.

Earlier, there were two separate contracts for rural and urban areas; however, a year ago when the contracts expired the cleanliness arrangements became badly disrupted.

In the urban areas, the CDA through its own staff, ex-contractor’s workers and machinery

Issue will be resolved soon when door-to-door collection will start under new contracts, CDA official says

temporarily carries out cleanliness arrangements. But the rural areas are almost completely neglected.

On the other hand, the CDA wanted to outsource both the urban and rural areas and called tenders several times this year only to cancel them.

However, in response to the last tender in November, the civic agency received bids from several companies, which are being evaluated.

Officials of the sanitation directorate said both the rural and urban areas produced around 1000 tonnes garbage and trash. They said the CDA wanted to award both contracts in accordance with per-ton collection and disposal rates.

For Package I (urban area), CDA received bids from three Joint Ventures of national and international companies – JV of Matracon and Kangjie, JV of Waste Buster, Teknik and ZKB and JV of NJC MMC and NCS Group, Imperial Ventures and Chongqing Endurance Co. Almost same companies with addition to KAPEC in place of Matracon are in race for Package II, for rural areas.

“Consultant is in process of technical bids evaluation and soon this process will be completed before awarding both the contracts,” said an official.

Earlier, the CDA had set an estimated cost of Rs25 billion for the project; however, in the new bidding process bids were called on the basis of per-ton collection rate.

The financial bids will be opened after technical bid evaluation process.

It is relevant to note here that the CDA has around 1100 regular sanitation workers, which will remain part of the civic agency, but their services will be handed over to the new contractors.

At present, the CDA is temporarily transporting garbage through a contract with the Rawalpindi Waste Management Company (RWMC) to Losar. The civic agency collects waste through its own staff in collaboration with a private contractor and moves it to the I-9 waste station before transferring it to Losar in Rawalpindi via RWMC. In addition to that, in Losar, the CDA also plans to construct its own landfill site.

Since its establishment in 1960, the CDA has failed to provide a proper landfill site for the capital. Instead of establishing a dedicated site, the civic agency has kept shifting the landfill location from one place to another.

Before relocating to Losar, the CDA dumped waste in the residential sector of I-12. However, this practice was halted last year.

When contacted, CDA spokesperson Shahid Kiani said the bid evaluation of companies was in process and soon CDA will open financial bids to award contracts.

“Once contracts are awarded, there will be no difference in urban and rural areas, door to door collection, primary collection and secondary collection will be carried out from entire Islamabad,” he said.

In response to a question about the landfill site, he said the CDA had already made payment to Rawalpindi Revenue Department for acquisition of 1200 kanals in Losar for the landfill site.

“Land acquisition is in process for landfill site… the landfill site will be integrated one having recycling facilities, material recovery facility etc,” he said.

“The issue of landfill site is a chronic one, but incumbent management have taken many important steps and now we are moving forward on right direction as after land acquisition process we will go for construction work,” he said.

Mr Kiani said rural areas are not completely neglected, but CDA carries secondary collection. “Soon, the issue of urban rural collection will be ended when door to door collection will be started under new contracts,” he added.

Published in Dawn, December 15th, 2025