District Government Hyderabad was taking its keen interest in institutional development and capacity building of solid waste management and sought for financial as well as technical assistance from World Bank to implement over the scheme.
The DCO Hyderabad Muhammad Hussein Syed was observed while briefing two member World Bank Mission headed by David Harahan, Environment Specialist Infrastructure and Environment South Asia Region, who called on him and held meeting with officers of district government regarding strategic country environmental assessment and implementation of the National Environmental Plan (NEP) at Shahbaz Hall here on Tuesday.
He said that Hyderabad was a growing city and was turning into a big urban centre of the province. He said that due to population influx, the city was facing multi-environmental problems causing health hazard condition and deterioration of civic infrastructure in the city.
He said that day by day increase in solid waste, liquid waste and hospitals waste, without having proper mechanism for its disposal have created many environmental problems specially increase in the ratio of Hepatitis B & C patients, unhygienic oriented diseases, chocking of drainage system. He said that this has not created hardship for citizens but has also posed managerial problems for the organisation concerned.
He said that in addition to that unplanned disposal of cottage industrials & site industrial waste, smoke emitting by traffics in city causing more problems.
He said that unfortunately we don't have environmental policy at grassroots level nor at federal or provincial level, as such Hyderabad was lacking environment management setup.
He said that for the reason the district government taking keen interest in the institutional development and capacity building of its human resources in the sector of solid waste management so that the environmental issues specially disposal of solid waste and hospitals waste could be solved on the priority basis.
He said that district government Hyderabad was intending to prepare an integrated plan with the participation of all stakeholders for disposal of solid waste and hospitals waste in efficient manner for which landfill site was being identified outside the city. He said that recently district government has decided to purchase 41 solid waste collecting vehicles to provide one vehicle to each Union Council of the district to implement over the plan. Besides district government was also considering to launch this project under public private partnership to get desired result of the plan.
He said that any investment, financial as well as technical assistance from World Bank in implementing over the plan would be welcomed. He said that district government would not only to seek for assistance but also to cooperate with the NOGs, CBOs already working in this field. He said that district government would also taking in installation of incinerators and waste recycling plants at Hyderabad for which technical assistance is also needed.
Responding a quarry, the DCO Hyderabad said that contamination of water due to old and deteriorated water supply lines was also another problem being experienced by the HDA but the district government Hyderabad has launched mega development projects for laying efficient water supply & sewer system to provide 100 percent filtered and safe drinking water to the citizens within one to three years.
He said that under this strategy four new water filter plants were being installed while establishment of three other sewer treatment plants were also included.
Responding another question, he said that Hyderabad was the first district, who implemented over the scheme for installation of 10 water purification plants with the collaboration of philanthropists and organisations concerned on self help basis, before the announcement of federal government's programme.
He said that out of these one plant has been started, four to be started in next month and remaining five would be made functional during two to three months.
In addition to that two plants out of five other such water dispensers provided by the Environment Agency Government of Pakistan have been established while three would be established within a week time.
Talking on the occasion, the member of World Bank Mission David Hanrahan said that the purpose of their visit is to identify environmental problem being experienced by the citizens and district government as well and to ascertain areas where district government needs support of the Bank.
During the meeting he asked the management of the district government to prioritise their issues, which would be evaluated by his organisation for their assistance.
He said that we were engaged in environmental survey in Pakistan and to see potential for bringing projects with the consultation of all stakeholders including district governments. He said that our representative at Islamabad would be in touch to evaluate any environmental project preferred by district government for assistance.
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