LAHORE: Lahore Waste Management Company (LWMC) Chairman Amjad Ali Awan said they were striving to provide the best yet cost-effective cleanliness facilities to the citizens of Lahore.
While addressing a press conference here on Friday, he said the LWMC took special measures and started the journey of an operational company from a monitoring company. “In order to improve the solid waste management system in the provincial capital, the management took various initiatives, including three-year contract for outsourcing the secondary collection, procurement of 6,000 waste storage containers, 22,000 uniforms for sanitary workers, 10,000 shoes for sanitary workers, formal engagement of laid-off staff by the Turkish companies, assessment of existing fleet and auction of vehicles, the addition of 950 new vehicles, rehabilitation of temporary collection points (TCPs) and waste enclosures, 3,000 handcarts for sanitary workers, hiring of vacant management positions and establishment of a vigilance cell for the monitoring of overall operations of LWMC to eliminate and minimize the factors of corruption and malpractices,” he added.
According to him, the LWMC has only 14,000 workers for the cleanliness of the city of 15 million people. They have changed the organogram for optimal utilization of existing human resource, as the nature of the work has been changed after the closure of the contract with the Turkish companies. As per the proposed organogram, Lahore is divided into two circles and two general manager operations will be deployed for two circles of the city.
“Furthermore, 49 more zonal officers, 14 town managers, 2 managers coordination, 12 workshop managers, 72 tax collectors, two manager fleet, eight fleet in charge, 24 vigilance in-charges, 274 supervisors, 28 assistants, 28 clerks, and 72 temporary collection point supervisors will also be appointed,” he added.
He said the LWMC had introduced a mega plan of procuring 950 vehicles from its own budget of Rs 6 billion. “This procurement will be the solution to all the problems regarding cleanliness in the city. To counter the current situation of cleanliness, the LWMC is stimulating all its operations for making Lahore clean and green,” he added.
According to him, primary waste collection will be made with the help of a new consignment of vehicles while secondary collection will be outsourced. The bidding process has been initiated as per PPRA rules already.
The LWMC is planning to recycle and compost 1000 ton waste on daily basis with the collaboration of public and private institutes. The biggest achievement so far is to procure new machinery from its previous year budget.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021