ISLAMABAD: The government has decided to alter Master Plan of Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) to develop a sanitary landfill site at one or more sites, subject to feasibility assessment by the Consultant by March, 2023, official sources told Business Recorder.
Sharing the details, sources said, Interior Division apprised the Federal Cabinet on February 1, 2023 that the Prime Minister’s Office, in a letter on December 02, 2022 noted that the Honourable Islamabad High Court (IHC), in its Orders of August 12, 2022, directed Secretary to the Prime Minister to submit a report before the Court, providing details of the steps to be taken to ensure that an environmentally sustainable waste management and disposal system was put in place for Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT).
The Prime Minister’s Office had stated that the detailed report had been submitted in the IHC on October 04, 2022 and had directed that the matter be placed before the Federal Cabinet.
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The sources said, Capital Development Authority (CDA) in its letter of January 17, 2023 had informed that ICT, with an estimated population of 2.2 million, was fast expanding. Owing to the population addition in recent years there had been a substantial increase in municipal waste generation in the city with more than 1,200 tons of solid waste generated per day. The waste lifting capacity of CDA as of today was around 650 tons per day while a substantial portion was being managed by private contractors in housing societies and in rural areas. The same was being done by the respective Union Council.
While population was continuously growling, the related infrastructure and service delivery aspects had not been upgraded at the same pace over the years. A major portion of developments had taken place in areas other than defined Sectors and necessary paraphernalia was not developed over this period of time by the local municipal bodies for management of such areas falling outside CDA’s purview.
The functions of MCI related to sanitation were handed over to the CDA on October 5, 2020 for six months initially and had been extended from time to time till date. However, owing to limited resources and workforce of CDA, full area coverage had not materialized so far.
The IHC in its orders of August 12, 2022 and November 03, 2022 had instructed, inter alia, for development of a sustainable waste management plan for the city along with development of a scheme for final disposal of the waste generated. In compliance thereof, CDA had already started working on multiple fronts including the following: (i) declaration of emergency for immediate transport of solid waste from waste transfer stations at I-11/4 in ICT area to Losar, Rawalpindi Waste Management Company (RWMC) dumping site in compliance of court orders to stop waste disposal in I-12 from October 4, 2022.
Procurement of services through competitive bidding was in process; (ii) hiring of The Urban Unit as a consultant to develop a complete waste management plan and undertake waste characterization and generation studies in entire city.
The integrated waste management plan would be submitted by the consultant by first week of March, 2023 ;(iii) Urban Unit (consultant) would also recommend sites for development of a sanitary landfill site and transfer stations/ treatment facilities for which survey was being conducted ;(iv) allocation of land for development of waste transfer stations in I-9 and Humak Industrial Triangle which had been made as a part of the layout plan; (v) Comprehensive waste generation survey had been conducted by the CDA for the first-time including collection method, disposal and fees charged in private housing societies, Katchi Abadis and rural areas and ;(vi) disposal of solid waste at Losar, Rawalpindi had been worked out with RWMC as an interim arrangement.
However, due to limited ability of RWMC to continue the disposal arrangement for extended period of time, some space was available beyond the power lines of NTDC and IESCO running through the site with limited access to said area.
These steps had been taken to create a comprehensive solution for the entire city and the same would be presented before the Islamabad High Court, once approved by the CDA Board.
The Interior Division; therefore, informed that following had been proposed by CDA for consideration of the Cabinet: (i) development of a sanitary landfill site at one or more sites, subject to feasibility assessment by the consultant by March, 2023 and subsequent amendment in the master plan, if so required. Environmental Impact Assessment and other codal formalities would be fulfilled as and when construction was initiated and ;(ii) development of a sanitary landfill site at one or more sites, subject to feasibility assessment by the consultant by March, 2023 and subsequent amendment in the master plan, if so required. Environmental Impact Assessment and other codal formalities would be fulfilled as and when construction was initiated.
After brief discussion, the Federal Cabinet approved the proposal and directed Cabinet Division to issue the decision prior to formal approval of the minutes.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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