Mission Clean Lahore in full swing

Islamabad: Annoyed at the poor waste management in Lahore, Chief Minister Punjab Usman Buzdar has sought a report from the district administration as well as the Lahore Waste Management Company (LWMC) with a warning that no leniency would be acceptable as far as waste collection in the capital is concerned.

After the chief minister’s notice, the LWMC also sprang into action using its manpower and vehicles for collecting waste from the city and at the same time initiated a dialogue with the protesting employees of the Turkish contractor.

The contractor responsible for waste collection and its disposal from various parts of the city and its workers went on strike after the news that the provincial government had reportedly refused to renew its contract and release funds. The strike had left the provincial capital under filth.

However, LWMC authorities after dialogue with the contractor on Monday claimed Mission Clean Lahore was in full swing and they have taken charge of 135 out of 274 union councils in the city and collected around 6,000 tons of waste.

They said all officers of the company are in the field and the operation clean-up would continue until zero waste target is achieved.

At a press conference, LWMC chairman Riaz Hameed Chaudhry claimed that all apprehensions of the contractors had been removed three days ago. He said the cleanliness work in the city had been completed.

The Lahore Waste Management Company’s zero waste operation was continuing in the city to maintain a clean environment.

According to the LWMC Managing Director Rao Imtiaz Ahmad the company would continue efforts to keep the Punjab capital neat and clean.

He said that LWMC officers and staff would remain in field till the completion of zero waste operation, adding that no negligence would be tolerated in this regard.

They directed the officers to complete the operation till tonight. Steps to ensure cleanliness had been taken in all areas of the city, he maintained.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has criticised the provincial government for its failure to manage solid waste collection in the provincial capital and elsewhere in the province.

PML-N Punjab information secretary Azma Bukhari said heaps of solid waste could be spotted everywhere in Lahore that was once used to be a model for other towns in the country as far as its cleanliness was concerned.

But, she said, the situation had changed with the change in government which had failed to pay dues to the contractors and the employees of the waste management companies went on strike.