Caretaker Sindh Chief Minister Justice (Retd) Maqbool Baqar presiding over a joint meeting of P&D and finance dept has approved the implementation of urban regeneration over an area of old Jahangir Quarters, Jamshed, Clayton, and Martin Quarter. The meeting was attended by Chairman P&D Shakeel Manijo, PSCM Hassan Naqvi, Secretary Finance Kazim Jatoi, and others. The CM was told that a plan has been prepared to develop urban generation over an area of Jahagir Quarters, Jamshed Quarters, Clayton, and Martin Quartesr for which a feasibility study was being done by the World Bank.
The CM said that the affected people would be rehabilitated and that on the sites of the quarters new apartments, parks, libraries, shopping Malls, libraries, public spaces educational institutions, and offices would be established. The new well-planned construction would not only beautify the area but provide best accommodation to the people. He directed the P&D to expedite the implementation of the urban regeneration plan.Moreover, Caretaker Sindh Chief Minister Justice (retd) Maqbool Baqar presiding over a meeting of Sindh Solid Waste Management Board (SSWMB) took important decisions including appointment of municipal magistrates and inspectors in the city, recovery of SSWMB’s outstanding dues against industrialists and ordered an inquiry into the allotment of a plot to a private person in the area reserved for Landfill Site at Jam Chakro.
He also directed the local government and other departments to install cameras to monitor the ongoing work and inspections of all the mega projects and keep their recording to verify lapses, inefficiencies, and negligence. I want the senior officers must set up their camp offices at the sites to monitor the performance of the ongoing works, he said. The meeting was attended by Minister Local Govt Mubin Jumani, Mayor Karachi Murtaza Wahab, PSCM Hassan Naqvi, Secretary LG Manzoor Shaikh, MD Sold Waste Management Imtiaz Shah, MD SWEEP Zubair Channa, MS KMC Afzal Zaidi and others here at CM House on Saturday.
MD SSWMB Imtiaz Shah briefing the CM said that there are three main tiers of solid waste management, including Front End Collection (residential, commercial, rural, industrial, and bulk municipal solid Waste) GTS/Middle-End Collection and landfill Site Operations. The CM was told that the main components of the work scope stand assigned to front-end collection to contractors include Door-to-Door Collection & revamping of bins/containers, manual sweeping & mechanical Sweeping, Road Washing, Attending Community Bins (TDPs), public awareness, establishment of Scientific Command & Control System and Complaint Management System.
The CM said that he has visited the city twice but witnessed filth and garbage lying along the roads or in the greenbelt area. He added that it was not acceptable, therefore the SSWMB must constitute teams to inspect cleanliness work weekly. Baqar said that the contracting firms were charging huge amounts of money for the services they were bound to provide but due to the weak or absence of an inspection system, they were taking benefit. He directed the local government dept to constitute the boards of SSMB on the provincial and divisional levels so that their work could be streamlined further.
MD SSWMB Imtiaz told the CM that solid waste management was being accrued out in Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur, and Larkana. The CM directed him to ensure proper sweeping and garbage lifting there. Mayor Karachi Murtaza Wahab pointed out that builders dump their debris along the road. The shopkeepers and household were also throwing their trash on the streets. At this, the CM decided to appoint Municipal Magistrates and Inspectors so that they keep checking the cases of garbage throwing and dumping of debris on the road and penalize the delinquents.
He also said the magistrates would also be empowered to check the cases of wall chalking. SITE Association owes Rs94m to SSWMB. The CM was told that the SSWMB entered into an agreement with the Korangi Association of Trade & Industry (KATI), Pakistan Tanners Association (PTA), Korangi Creek Industrial Park (KCIP) and SITE Association of Trade & Industry.
As per agreed arrangements, SSWMB is providing Front End Collection Services in KATI, Pakistan Tanners Association (PTA), Korangi Creek Industrial Park (KCIP), and SITE Industrial Area against payment of services charges. The KATI, PTA & KCIP mostly abiding by their agreement are regularly paying service charges. But, the SITE Association of Trade & Industry, however, deviated from their agreement and stopped making payments of accrued outstanding dues of Rs.94.752 million. Although the SSWMB provided them continuous eight months of services, including two months free of cost.
