ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has removed around 5,200 tons of garbage in a drive following shifting of Directorate of Sanitation from the MCI to the CDA.

The CDA chairman has directed the Finance Wing for allocation of funds to the Sanitation Directorate.

This huge volume of garbage has been removed from the capital following shifting of the Directorate of Sanitation from the MCI to the CDA.

2,000 tons of garbage has been removed from Bhara Kahu area alone.

The average collection of garbage from Islamabad per day now is 650 tons per day, which used to be below 500 tons, when the Sanitation Directorate used to perform under the MCI.

This sizeable increase has been possible due to better administrative control and monitoring by the CDA Administration.

Around 1,600 sanitation workers are participating in this special cleanliness drive in the city with the help of 40 dumpers, four excavators, eight buckets, and other machinery.

Duty timing of sanitary workers has been extended up to 5pm from 7am, which previously used to be 7am to 3pm.

Sanitary staff in markets has started to work in double shift i.e. till 11pm.

During this drive, awareness is also being imparted to the residents of the city, while after issuing notice to the elements involved in the littering now challans are being issued to persistent violators.

In this context, up till now 350 challans have been forwarded to Senior Special Magistrate.

In addition to collection of garbage from sectoral area, 2,000 tons of garbage has also been collected from Bhara Kahu area, while cleanliness work in Shah Allah Ditta area, Ali Pur Farash, Khana, and Golra is also in progress.

The CDA chairman has directed the Finance Wing for allocation of funds to the Sanitation Directorate, so that more garbage trolleys and containers could be placed at garbage collection points, so that the drive could be further augmented.

The Sanitation Directorate has also been directed to collect and dispose of green waste on priority basis particularly from the greenbelts of the city as the Environment Wing is massively carrying out work on removal of wild growth all over the city.

Acting upon the directions of the authority, especially constituted teams of the Sanitation Directorate are ensuring 100 percent collection and disposal of green waste for different areas of the city.

The CDA has also engaged consultant for a new waste site and the EPA is carrying out process for hearing.

So that as development works likely to start at I-12 the same will be shifted to new site.

The ICT administration is providing full assistance in this special cleanliness drive.

Residents of the city have also been requested not to throw garbage at open spaces, so that desired results could be achieved.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020