WALK through any sabzimandi in Pakistan at day’s end and the scene is hard to miss. Rotten vegetables, leftover fruit and discarded plastic bags lie scattered across the ground. Flies gather around piles of waste as shoppers and shopkeepers carry on. A plastic lifafa caught in a roadside drain has become so familiar that hardly anyone notices it. We have lived with rubbish so long that we have stopped seeing it. But the problem goes far beyond dirty streets. Pakistan’s waste crisis is not simply caused by careless people or growing cities. Years of poor planning, weak enforcement and ineffective municipal services have made the situation worse. Our cities are expanding, but waste systems have largely failed to keep pace. Smaller cities and rural areas often have even fewer resources.
The lifafa has become a common symbol of this failure. Governments have announced bans on single-use plastic bags several times, yet they remain widely used in markets. There are occasional inspections and crackdowns, but the same bags return. The problem is not merely a lack of laws. It is also weak enforcement and the absence of affordable alternatives. Without both, restrictions are unlikely to produce lasting change. The same pattern is visible across urban and rural Pakistan. In many places, there is no proper system to separate, recycle or dispose of rubbish. People dump plastic bags, bottles and household waste into open spaces, fields, streams and roadsides. During heavy rain, waste can block drainage paths and waterways, contributing to flooding. A small act of littering can become part of a much larger chain of damage.
Waste does not always remain where it is thrown. A plastic bag beside a village stream can be carried by rain into a larger waterway, eventually reaching a river, lake or sea. Every monsoon, plastic bags and household rubbish block drains and nullahs. When heavy rain arrives, blocked drainage systems cannot carry water away. The damage is often greater in poorer communities, where residents have fewer resources to protect their homes. The problem is not limited to flooding. Piles of uncollected rubbish can provide breeding places for mosquitoes, contributing to diseases such as dengue. Waste dumped in open areas can also contaminate soil and groundwater. For communities lacking clean drinking water, this creates another burden. Yet rubbish often receives official attention only after damage occurs. Prevention requires regular collection and disposal rather than temporary clean-up drives.
Then winter arrives. In many major cities, people burn piles of rubbish in streets, neighbourhoods and open dumping areas. Burning plastic and other waste releases harmful smoke, adding to pollution already affecting millions. We often discuss smog as a seasonal problem, but some pollution also comes from waste that is poorly collected and burned. What is thrown away does not disappear; when burned, part returns through the air we breathe. Pakistan’s natural landscapes are suffering as well. During the tourist season, places such as Naran, Kaghan and other northern areas receive thousands of visitors, while waste collection often remains inadequate. Plastic bottles, food wrappers and other rubbish are left along roads, rivers and picnic spots. Without adequate waste services and responsible behaviour, local communities are left to manage the burden. Protecting these areas requires better facilities and public awareness.
The solution requires more than cleanliness campaigns. Waste should be separated at source, with organic material from homes and sabzimandis turned into compost. Plastic, glass, paper and other recyclables should be collected separately. Schools, markets and neighbourhoods can encourage waste separation and reduce unnecessary plastic use. Manufacturers should also take responsibility for packaging. Producers, retailers, consumers and local authorities all have a role in reducing waste. Kabariwalas and waste pickers should be included in formal recycling systems and provided with safer working conditions. They already recover significant quantities of recyclable material from our cities, often without recognition or protection. A better organized system could make them an important part of Pakistan’s waste-management network while improving recycling and reducing material sent to dumping sites.
None of this will work without stronger local governments. Cities need reliable waste collection, recycling and disposal systems, backed by sufficient money, staff, equipment and enforcement. Citizens have a responsibility not to litter, but they cannot solve a problem created by weak systems alone. Waste management must become a basic essential municipal service, not something authorities remember only when drains overflow or streets become unbearable. This is why the discussion about new provinces and stronger local governments matters. The issue is not only about boundaries, but whether government can be brought closer to people, with enough resources and authority to address local problems. Waste management is a clear example of why effective local systems matter. What we throw away does not disappear; it remains in our soil, water and air, eventually coming back to us. We may ignore it today, but our children will inherit its cost.
—The writer is a young activist who comes from Islamabad and now lives in Dubai.
