Making Karachi the Cleanest City of the World – A Plan to Implement By Zahid Faqir, DGM HSEQ Founder - Patriots of Safety – Pakistan

Karachi with a population of 25 Million People (only 15 million accounted for in Census 2017) and an Area almost touching 4000 Sq. Kilometers is one of the Largest Metropolitan Cities of the world. Since last two decades a dozen of drives have been planned, initiated and then left in the middle to manage its waste. Almost 10-12 thousand tons of solid waste generate everyday with only two main landfill solid waste dumping sites (Jam Chakhro and Deh Gondal Pass) and about eight intermittently transformed lifting grounds. With demography of the city spreading in every direction all these Waste fills, sites, grounds or bins have begun falling in the middle of the populated areas. Moreover, access to them is blocked by encroachers and their capacities compromised long ago. The pungent smell, bacterial growth, animal infestation and hazardous pollution from these in-house waste fills are a major cause of disease, dirt, dust and environmental decay in Karachi.

Unfortunately, every drive and move that was started in Karachi to clean Karachi was limited to few photo shoots, political speeches, one time activity lifting garbage and waste from one point and throwing it at another point.

There was no strategic plan, it seems. Cantonments and Societies have their own administration, city governments continue to blame provincial patrons and the federal government keeps on requesting all categories of administrators – not to fight.

Situation can turn more devastating if we continue dealing with the waste of Karachi in the same manner. Number of clever businessmen have entered into a contract with various levels of town administrators to collect waste including a Chinese company but none of them is interested in housekeeping or cleaning of Karachi. Their aim is to get the recycled stuff out of the dirty one and then use it for monetary gains.

Seriously speaking they have further created junk yards to create and segregate the waste in every nook and corner of Karachi. The one near Al Asif in Sohrab Goth and the other in Sher Shah Site Area are the largest. These contracted companies have assigned the responsibility of collecting valuable waste only to poor immigrants from KPK, Western Mountains, Afghanistan, Interior Sindh, South Punjab and Northern Areas who move on carts and motor cycles rickshaws on pre-defined roads gathering and collecting various categories of valuable waste. While enroute they do not miss to lift unattended bags, side view glasses of cars and sometimes they even break the window glasses to steal from cars as well.

The larger waste continues to stay in the streets and in the bins.

Government is paying them as well – I mean paying the thieves to steal.

They have even stolen the Bins kept by KMC or other agencies for collection of bins and they don’t mind to lift even the gutter covers.

We keep watching various videos and clips on What Sapp and social media about Singapore, Sweden, Germany and few other countries of the world and continue cursing our politicians, administrators and the government for not doing enough.

The problem is not availability of staff and vehicles to do housekeeping in Karachi. We are already over populated in every department. The biggest problem is all these in house garbage yards, drainage nullahs and dumping grounds which are choking since decades.

As one Patriot of Safety & Pakistan, I have a very clear solution to this all.

Baldia, City, Cantt, Drigroad, Malir & Landhi railway stations have ramped platforms from where the waste and garbage of Karachi can be loaded onto Carriage Trains. One day a week be declared as “Clean Karachi Day” such that every Sat-Sun when the roads have less traffic. Fleet of Dumpers should collect waste from every nook and corner of Karachi and transport it onto those carriage trains. These Carriage Trains should carry this waste to 50-60 miles out of Karachi to a deserted abandoned place but not on the main track. About 20 railway track extensions be developed to get the trains off from main route and into what is going to be world largest dumping ground.

After half km from the main track the track should be on a wall about 40 feet from ground level so when the waste is off loaded it goes onto 200 meters wide spaces on the right and left of the 2 km long halting terminals.

Incineration Plants, recycle Industrial estates, power plants and composting plants may be planned and developed in those areas.

Interestingly this plan would wipe Karachi’s complete waste within a Year and thereafter the frequency of Using Waste Trains will also be reduced from week to month. Initially of declaring one day as off day for public passenger train is difficult to implement, the government may use additional existing platforms in areas as identified. Furthermore the local people and population may also add value to drive. Industrialist and local municipal managers and common people may also be provided about some incentives if they also send waste or garbage loaded vehicles to railway stations for filling the carriages on the Waste Management Day.

With all sincerity this is one of the plans I had to clean Karachi and there are tens of other plans to implement. My request to readers is to spread the message by commenting or sharing this write up to everyone who can impact or create difference.

Let’s Make Karachi and then Pakistan Clean

Zahid Faqir

03222006633

www.hse.org.pk

03363881113