AFTER successful implementation of the first phase, the caretaker Punjab Government has launched the second phase of the widely hailed ‘Clean Village’ scheme that envisages provision of city-style sanitation services at union councils and villages. The programme is aimed at revolutionizing village life through proper disposal of the solid waste and provision of urban-like amenities, including computerized birth, death and marriage certificates to villagers. The programme further includes the provision of modern machinery at the Union Council level for enhancing village sanitation and launching of a mobile app for dash-board monitoring of these services.
The first phase of the programme was launched by Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi in August 2023 and during the last four months thousands of cleanliness campaigns were undertaken; 9675 sanitary workers recruited; 3225 loader rickshaws acquired; waste-bins installed and over 21,500 committees of notables formed to monitor sanitation situation in their areas. The involvement of local people, who surely have a deep interest in cleanliness of their areas, would ensure success and sustainability of the programme. According to a study, in Punjab, about 70 million people reside in rural areas generating over twenty thousand tons of waste on a daily basis. There were heaps of filth lying here and there in rural areas destroying not only their beauty and environment but serious health risks to the local population. The credit goes to the provincial government for implementing a long term solution of the problem. A beginning has been made and one hopes the waste management system would be improved in line with modern trends. It may also be pointed out that there are serious issues facing the prevailing waste management systems in urban areas. No doubt, waste management bodies have been formed but they are unable to deliver as per expectations of the citizens because of resource constraints and lack of proper monitoring. An example is heaps of waste frequently seen on streets and roads of Rawalpindi where complaints of people remain unattended because of shirk work sanitary and supervisory staff.
