Islamabad Govt to Revise the ICT Master Plan to Create New Sanitary Landfill Sites

[LRE-Azan]

Islamabad Govt to Revise the ICT Master Plan to Create New Sanitary Landfill Sites
Islamabad: The government has approved altering the ICT master plan to include new sanitary landfill sites. The number of landfill sites is subjected to a feasibility assessment by a consultant.

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) issued a directive to the Secretary to the Prime Minister in August 2022 to prepare a report providing insight into the inclusion of ecologically sustainable disposal and waste management systems in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT).

The PM’s Office submitted a detailed report to the IHC on October 04, 2022. The office also instructed to put forward the matter before the Federal Cabinet.

Capital Development Authority (CDA) shared relevant information on the subject in a letter to the federal Cabinet. According to the CDA, the escalating population of around 2.2 million inhabitants in the capital produces approximately 1,200 tons of solid waste daily. However, the waste management capacity of the CDA is 650 tons, whereas the rest of the waste is processed by the union councils and private contractors.

In compliance with the court’s order to establish waste management sites, the CDA has taken the following steps.

(i) Declaring a state of urgency for garbage transportation.

(ii) Hiring the Urban unit as a consultant to identify suitable landfill sites and develop a waste management plan.

(iii) Conducting comprehensive surveys on waste generation.

The CDA also presented a proposal for consideration by the federal Cabinet. The proposal highlights include:

(i) The development of one or more sanitary landfill sites by March 2023. The number of sites would depend upon the feasibility assessed by the consultant.

(ii) Adjustments in the master plan if needed.

(iii) Fulfillment of environmental Impact Assessment and other codal formalities during the construction.