By Mohammad Hamza Shafqaat.
A war like any other has started, with two sides at play, and what stands at the crossroads is the capital of Balochistan. In this war, one side stands on the right while the other continues pursuing wrong group-centric interests and agendas. People are being fed fake news and false narratives while yellow journalism thrives on sensational, spicy news. Political representatives are being enticed into supporting the forces of the status quo while the bureaucracy continues to create hurdles. What is this war all about? What is to happen, and will it end in a Shakespearean tragedy? That is what we all yet to know.
The Metropolitan Corporation Quetta spends 90 million rupees per annum on solid waste and sanitation services in the city. According to a report from the University of Balochistan, MCQ is able to collect around 400 tonnes of garbage on a daily basis with the aforementioned amounts. However, the city produces more than 1,600 tonnes of garbage daily. This difference between production and disposal has resulted in an accumulation of 1,000 tonnes of garbage each day. A rough estimate by experts states that there are more than 2 million tonnes of garbage lying in the city. This can be witnessed in both urban and rural areas. There are garbage heaps everywhere. Trash is seen in drainages as well as in the irrigation nullahs across the city.
The 800 permanent ‘khakroobs’ were unable to perform their duties because of their age and their “networking.” This has resulted in the city being filled with filth with each passing day, further causing obvious damage to the city’s environment and affecting the health of the people. Dengue, Congo, malaria, hepatitis, and respiratory infections are just a few of the rampant epidemics in the city. The kids do not have open areas anymore where they can play. WHO has also reported rising cases of stunting in children. The elderly are also suffering from the random garbage on the streets. The garbage is polluting the environment and also the sub-soil water storages.
What could have been done to clean the city and save its residents from a terrible situation? MCQ, like any other government department, came up with a solution of buying new machinery worth Rs1 billion. It also submitted a case for a further Rs1 billion to clear outstanding liabilities that have been accruing since the rise in POL prices. For the cleanliness drive, more land worth billions was proposed to be acquired, and more staff was to be hired to clean the city, which would have cost the government more than a billion rupees adjusted over the next few years. How convenient, isn’t it? Cleaning the city with a Rs5 billion grant. The cash-crunched treasury has already been raising objections about the unaccounted-for HR in MCQ. It was a bottleneck, and there appeared to be no visible solution for the city managers.
About 6 months ago, the Quetta Commissioner’s Office and the Balochistan Public Private Partnership Authority’s team were called by the Chief Secretary, and a briefing was prepared for the new Chief Minister. After a detailed discussion in the presence of various secretaries and ministers, the Chief Minister gave the go-ahead to explore the option of Public Private Partnership for solid waste management in Quetta. The Commissioner was given the charge of Administrator Metropolitan Corporation Quetta to ensure unity of command and to push through the reform agenda envisioned by the CM, CS, and the government. Top experts from all over Pakistan were gathered, and a legal team was hired from Karachi. Models from Lahore, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Karachi, and even Istanbul were examined. It was learned that the Government of Punjab established a Waste Management Company in 2010, and the first private contract was awarded after 4 years. The transition had been extremely difficult and was met with resistance from unions, pressure groups with vested interests, media, and the corporation employees. Karachi had a different model, but it required massive budgetary support from the Government. Therefore, city managers decided to learn from all models and develop their own indigenous model that would fit into the present system of governance without burdening the exchequer.
It was clear that Rs 90 million was not a sufficient amount for a city that roughly catered to 5 million people annually. It was therefore decided to hand over the machinery, workshops, and contingent staff to the private concessionaire to reduce the burden on MCQ and also on the private party. A recycling plant was amalgamated into the project to reduce pressure on dumping sites. It was also decided to impose a tax of Rs 8 per day per house so that door-to-door collection could be ensured, and “kachra kundis,” or garbage tubs, could be cleared and converted into green areas and open spaces. The collection of tax has always been a challenge for municipalities. A city with over one hundred thousand trade shops only manages to collect from about 300 shops. This challenge led the managers to explore the option of selling carbon credits internationally in lieu of clearing open spaces and converting them into green areas. This would allow the private concessionaire to generate revenue for buying new machinery and modernizing solid waste management. During this phase, another issue arose. Some private contractors were already collecting Rs 500 from each house in Quetta in the name of door-to-door collection through young kids (often referred to as scavengers). They were taking away the green waste and recyclable materials to “kabaaris” and throwing away useless trash on the roads. It was decided to involve the police and magistrates as well to break this chain and take charge of the city’s trash. The research to come up with a panacea for solid waste took 3 months. The Chief Minister himself chaired all meetings, coordinated all efforts with different departments, and pushed for the summary to be brought to the cabinet. The project document was generated by BPPPA, vetted by the Public Private Unit, examined by the Administrator MCQ, and then presented to the Public Private Partnership Authority’s board, which is chaired by the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Planning.
A giant leap was made. International tender was floated. The union started protesting. A few officers who were enjoying the benefits of the archaic model also jumped into the fray and sealed the MCQ offices. Attacks were made on the office of the commissioner. A few journalists and vloggers were also used to create chaos on the media front. Even writ petitions were filed in court. All that was handled, and a successful joint venture was accepted, with the inauguration taking place on the 14th of August 2024. It was hailed as a flagship project of the government. The transition toward the reformed model of JV started with it. Thirty percent of the area, along with staff, workshop, and machinery, has been handed over to the private concessionaire.
But this is when the war has entered its final phase. Unions, officials, and all status quo forces have joined hands to prevent the JV from succeeding. Intentionally, machinery is being damaged, drainage is being choked, the JV is being discouraged, and the office of the commissioner is being maligned almost on a daily basis.
It is now time for the people to decide. Do they want to let the archaic and inefficient system win, or do they want a new and clean Quetta? It will take a few months, but crossing this river of tears is essential. The ‘War on Trash,’ however, goes on!
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