ISLAMABAD – The only dumping site of the federal capital is jeopardizing the once cherished and pleasant ambience and vibes with scenic green environment turned musty and hazardous in the surroundings of I-12 dumping site.
Talking to APP, Ishtiaq Meher a resident of I-10 sector said the Sanitation Department of Capital Development Authority (CDA) has been disposing the city’s waste at the dump set up in I-12 sector (a residential area under development) whereas the stink arising from the dumping site has made the atmosphere in the vicinity unpleasant for health and breathing.
He said, “It is gruesome to see that the waste pickers are found burning garbage at times in the dump which further aggravates the air quality and environment not only of the surrounding areas rather of the entire city.”
Khattak said that some miscreants have also been found burning the dried grass in green patches of the sector as it is winter and it is normally found. He said the CDA’s waste management teams are dumping garbage explicitly which at times causes plastic bags and portable waste to float with the fast blowing wind; however, waste pickers are also found scrolling the heaps of waste to pick rough papers and recycle items.
“It also makes the gathered piles of trash to split and exacerbate pollution in the environment,” he added.
Nimra Ahmed, a teacher said, “We need to educate ourselves as people themselves do not bother to notice when somebody around us is putting garbage, plastic and other inflammable material at the fire for heating during cold weather.
They should be stopped and educated about the serious hazards of their burning of harmful substance which will not only affect them rather the entire environment.”
Commenting on the situation, Director Sanitation, CDA Sardar Khan Zimri said that I-12 dumping site was a temporary spot for garbage disposal where the waste management teams put the garbage in trenches made at the place and then cover it with earth.
“We have controlled the burning and poor disposal issues of garbage reported by the citizens however, since the site is a temporary one where trenches are not that deep and the earth submerging the garbage gets removed during rains and strong gusts of wind hence, making the garbage floating into the atmosphere or scattering in the vicinity,” he informed.
“CDA Planning Directorate, Land Department and Municipal Administration Islamabad (MCI) recently visited a place next to Sanajani near Taxila to establish a permanent waste dumping site,” he said.
He informed that the project was in the offing as land acquisition was a little difficult due to territorial engagements of the proposed land with Rawalpindi, Taxila and trans-provincial boundaries.
To a question, he said Environment Protection Agency (EPA) had also filed a case against CDA over the matter of waste dumping in I-12 in the Environment Tribunal and its ruling directed the Authority to shift the dumping waste out of the residential sector at a suitable place.
He said the Sanitation Directorate had written three reminders to the CDA officials to take up the matter of new dumping site and was waiting for the response.
He informed that CDA has also planned to outsource its waste management service and would offer tenders to private local and international companies for the service who would responsible for the collection of solid waste, dumping and proper disposal of the garbage at the site. He said that waste-to-energy project was also under consideration and conditioned to the success of the Sanjani dumping site.
