The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has criticised the government for what it says its failure to manage solid waste collection in the provincial capital and elsewhere in the province.
PML-N Punjab information secretary Azma Bukhari says 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.
Meanwhile, the poor waste management in the city also annoyed Chief Minister Usman Buzdar who reportedly sought a report from the district administration as well as the waste management company. He warned the authorities that no leniency would be acceptable as far as waste collection in the capital is concerned.
The authorities mobilised the Lahore Waste Management Company to use 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 efforts bore fruit as the protesters opened offices and workshops to allow use of machinery of the contractor in the waste collection.
The LWMC authorities claim they had 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.
APP adds: At a press conference here, LWMC chairman Riaz Hameed Chaudhry claimed that all apprehensions of the Turkish contractors had been removed three days ago. He said the cleanliness work in the city had been completed.
