ISLAMABAD: As the contract for garbage collection in the federal capital expired on August 31, a number of sectors started giving the look of filth depots because the residents were left with no other option but to throw garbage at the end of their streets, grounds, in nullahs and even greenbelts.

Metropolitan Corporation of Islamabad (MCI) spokesperson Mohsin Sherazi said the contractor who had been collecting garbage for the last 28 years failed to win the contract this year.

He claimed that the new contractor had arranged staff and equipment and started collecting garbage from across the city.

On September 1, the sanitation staff stopped collecting garbage due to which people dumped garbage for a day at their homes and then started throwing it at the end of their streets, grounds and nullahs.

Ms Maqbool, a resident of I-10, told Dawn that the sanitation staff did not reach her house to collect garbage due to which she waited till the evening and then asked her son to throw the garbage at the garbage box placed almost half a kilometre away from her house.

“My son told me that the garbage box was already full and even there was a heap of garbage around the box. Next day I saw people throwing garbage at the end of the street so my son also did the same. Now there is small at the end of the street,” she said.

Ehsanullah, a teenager, who was playing football at Azhar Mehmood Ground at I-10, said people had also started throwing garbage in the ground.

“The very first day when residents started throwing garbage here, our ball went into the garbage and was lost. After a few days, it became difficult to stand near the ground due to the smell. We appeal to the MCI, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and other stakeholders to address the issue,” he said.

Mr Ehsan said same thing happened last year as the sanitation staff stopped collecting garbage due to which people threw garbage in greenbelts and grounds. He said last year the staff stopped collecting garbage over non-payment of salaries.

The MCI spokesperson said the situation arose as the former contractor failed to win the contract after its expiry on August 31.

He said there were three contracts in the city; first for G-6, G-7 and G-8, the second for G-9 and G-10 and the third for I-8, I-10 and the highway.

MCI’s own staff collects garbage from the ‘F’ series of sectors and I-9.

“Last year, we tried to award the contract of whole Islamabad to a foreign company but it demanded 138 per cent higher rates. On the other hand, the former contractor gave 21pc, 19pc and 14pc lower rates, respectively, compared to the previous year’s contract, and won the contracts as per Public Procurement Regulatory Authority rules. This year, the contractor gave 25pc higher rates compared to last year but a newcomer gave 15pc less rates compared to last year and won the contract,” he said.

Mr Sherazi said there was an issue of garbage collection for a few days but the new contractor has arranged staff and machinery and started collection of garbage.

“Even I visited different sectors on Saturday to see if garbage is being collected and it has been decided to cancel the holiday on Sunday (today) to ensure that the garbage is collected from across the city,” he said.

Published in Dawn, September 7th, 2020