KARACHI: The Coordination Committee on Federal Projects (CCFP) in Sindh has proposed to allow Sindh Solid Waste Management Board (SSWMB) as a policy formulation organization while for operational purposes there would be separate autonomous bodies on district/divisional level, including Karachi.
A similar arrangement was also proposed for Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA).
This emerged in the meeting held here under the chairmanship of Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah here at CM House. The meeting was attended by two federal ministers, Asad Umar and Aminul Haq, provincial ministers Saeed Ghani, Nasir Shah, Corps Commander Karachi Lt General Humayun Aziz, chief Secretary Mumtaz Shah, Chairman P&D M Waseem, GOC Karachi Major General M Aqeel, PSCM Sajid jamal Abro, Administrator Karachi Iftikhar Shahalwani, Commissioner Karachi Sohail Rajput, Secretary Transport Sharif Ahmed, Secretary LG Najam Shah, MD Water Board Asadullah Khan, MD SSWMA Zubair Channa and others.
The coordination committee while discussing cleanliness of the nullas concluded that they would remain choked until and unless an efficient system of garbage lifting was not evolved in the city. It was pointed out that due to the improper lifting of garbage from the roads, the garbage was stuffing the nullas and finally choked them which resulted in urban floods during heavy rains.
Keeping in view these different factors, the meeting proposed to the provincial government to allow SSWMB function as a policy making organization while all the divisional headquarters may have separate and autonomous bodies responsible for lifting sweeping, door to door collection, transportation of garbage to garbage transfer stations and then to the landfill sites.
In this proposed arrangement Karachi, Hyderabad, Larkana, Sukkur, Mirpurkhas and Shaheed Benazirabad would have separate Solid Waste Management bodies for keeping the cities neat and clean.
The meeting was told that there were 422 dangerous buildings in the city but the buildings which collapsed during the last few months were illegal construction. The stoppage of illegal construction or buildings was necessary to keep the lives and property of the people safe and secure. Therefore, the meeting proposed to the provincial government to allow the Sindh Building Control Authority to serve as a policy making organization while Karachi, Hyderabad and divisions may have separate autonomous bodies for building control.
It was also pointed out that every new building being constructed should have a specific life span and in case of its collapse before completion of its life the builder should be held responsible.
The chief minister said that the provincial government would consider the proposal of the Coordination Committee favorably.
The committee discussed the matter of removal of encroachment along the embankments of major nullas. When the issue of the width of nullas and the size of embankment emerged, the meeting proposed to appoint a consultant to design the nalla as per master plan and submit a report so that encroachments could be removed. Meanwhile, the meeting decided to work out a detailed plan for rehabilitation of the people living along the nullas.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2020
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