Most of the temporary waste collection, dumping, and transfer stations set up by the Lahore Waste Management Company (LWMC) in the provincial metropolis are stinky and have become a public nuisance, especially in residential areas.
The situation is the worst at the LWMC’s Johar Town dumping station, which is next to the Lahore Expo Centre and close to a well-known shopping mall and hotel. This is causing residents, commuters, and foreigners who come to the city to attend mega events a lot of trouble.
“Look at this place where trash is dumped. It covers acres and has become a constant source of stench that makes the air people breathe in the area dirty. Also, people from other countries who come to Johar Town for international events and stay at a nearby hotel and go to the shopping mall are affected by the poor waste disposal system, says a resident of Johar Town. “What do you think these people from other countries will think about our country? “This is a very serious problem that needs to be fixed right away,” he said.
The LWMC took over the job of collecting and getting rid of trash a year ago. Before that, the job had been given to two major Turkish companies in 2012. But after the 2018 general elections, the PTI government led by Buzdar started looking into all of the major projects started by the PML-N government, including the LWMC. In the end, the government decided not to renew the contract in December 2020.
In a surprising move, the government took over all of the Turkish companies’ assets and installations (workshops, machinery) in the same month. It also filed cases against its top officials. This caused a crisis, and for weeks most of the city was dirty and smelly.
Albayrak and Ozpak employees also held a protest on December 22, 2020, against the LWMC management for “forcibly seizing” their machinery, tools, workshops, and field offices, even though the court had issued a stay order.
The companies also said that the LWMC was wrong for not paying them back Rs3 billion in debts. But the LWMC didn’t agree with the contractors when they said that, as part of the contract, the machinery had to be given to the foreign firms.
The issue was also covered by international media, such as Turkish news outlets, and the Turkish government talked to the U.S. government about it.
After taking the job away from the Turkish firms, the LWMC took over the cleaning operations up to the point of primary waste collection and hired private firms to take care of secondary waste collection. It also bought new machines, tools, etc., and started running the business. It also set up temporary waste collection, dumping, and transfer stations at Kamahan, Hando, Babu Sabu, Bhuptian, Johar Town, Mohlanwal, Raiwind, Thokar, Jadeh, Bhaati gate, Baradari, Saggian, Shadman, China Scheme, and Ring Road to move solid waste to landfills, such as Lakhudair.
“It is a bad idea to put trash stations in cities, especially in places where foreigners go, because it hurts the image of a country that is already going through the worst economic crisis in the last few years. “The government needs to pay attention to the situation,” said a Lahore city district official who asked not to be named.
“All of these stations must be shut down right away to protect the environment and the public as a whole. “The departments of environmental protection and local government, as well as the metropolitan corporation, should step up and find a solution,” he said.
A spokesman for the LWMC said that the issue of the waste station in Johar Town is already being talked about. “We have already cut the amount of trash brought to this station from different places by half. “Also, the process of getting trash from the station to the landfills has been sped up,” he said.
Because people were complaining, he said, the company had also started looking for a new place to move the waste station. In response to a question, he said that the company couldn’t close the station right away because it would stop the main waste collection operation. Instead, the company would have to find another place to do it.
The LWMC has also started a clean-up operation in the city in time for Muharram. On Sunday, the CEO of the LWMC, Ms. Rafia Haider, went to the sites and watched as the Imambargahs were cleaned and washed.
“We are cleaning during Muharram in three shifts with all of our equipment and more than 600 people. The operation has been completed at Imambargah Rizvia, Imambargah Hassani, Imambargah Baba Karamat, Imambargah Bait Al Fadak, Imambargah Jamal Mustafa, Imambargah Jamia Fatima, Imambargah Jagir Ali and Haveli Syed Wajid Hussain Shah,” she said, adding that cleaning arrangements are also being made on the routes of Muharram processions and the sites of majalis.
Mahnur is MS(development Studies)Student at NUST University, completed BS Hons in Eng Literature. Content Writer, Policy analyst, Climate Change specialist, Teacher, HR Recruiter.
