Sindh Water Commission (SWC) on Wednesday granted two-week time to Sindh Solid Waste Management Board (SSWMB) for lifting and disposal of garbage in the districts of Karachi, which have been contracted out to Chinese companies.
The commission also directed the SSWMB to start the tender process for two districts of Karachi ie Korangi and Central for lifting solid waste management when one-man judicial commission headed by former Justice Amir Hani Muslim took up the issue of lifting and disposal of garbage in Karachi and contracts of Chinese companies to do this task.
The representatives of the SSWMB and counsel of Chinese companies appeared in the proceedings. The head of the commission directed the Chinese companies to hire the services of required employees and deployment of required machinery for lifting and disposal of garbage after inquiring why the required strength of employees couldn't be ensured for the task.
The counsel of Chinese companies told the commission that their payments have been withheld for the last several months. The commission directed the SSWMB to pay the due amount to the Chinese companies when representative of the board apprised the commission that payments have been withheld on its orders after the companies submitted bills of excessive amount.
Justice Hani pointed out sanitary conditions in districts West & Malir are worst and said that the situation is different what was told about these districts. He said that how the task of cleanliness would be carried out if the companies had not required strength of sanitary workers and machinery.
He said that Chinese companies were required to ensure the mandatory number of employees and machinery in three months, but they didn't honour their commitments. "These companies are charging the amount for the employees, but didn't appoint them so far", he observed.
The commission remarked, "If Chinese companies can't do the task of lifting and disposing the garbage, it is better to give this job to locals or someone else".
The representative of the SSWMB told the commission that the board plans to enter into deal with the foreign financial institution for securing the financing to generate the power from garbage. The commission head said that the country is already burdened with the foreign debt and would further press the country if the loans are secured for this project. The SSWMB representative told the commission that performance of the Chinese companies has turned worst after they started operations in Pakistan. Counsel of Chinese companies submitted before the commission that companies have been trying to honour their commitments viz-a-viz lifting and disposal of garbage.
The commission putting off the hearing of the matter for Thursday (today) sought the report from the SSWMB on lifting and proper disposal of garbage in two weeks. It also directed Commissioner Karachi to intervene and ensure that human resource and equipment are handed over to the SSWMB.