| Rawalpindi: As part of the provincial government’s ‘Clean Punjab’ initiative, the waste management system in Rawalpindi’s 17 tehsils has been outsourced to the private sector, with operations set to begin by December 1. The outsourcing process for the remaining tehsils — Pind Dadan Khan, Khewra, Kallar Kahar, and Choa Saidan Shah — is expected to be completed by January 1.
This announcement was made during a review meeting chaired by Punjab Minister for Local Government and Community Development, Zeeshan Rafiq, along with Rawalpindi Commissioner Aamir Khattak. During the meeting, it was revealed that the pre-qualification process for outsourcing the waste management in these remaining tehsils had already been completed.
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To streamline and enhance public participation in the initiative, the government has launched the ‘Clean Rawalpindi’ mobile app and established a toll-free number, ‘1139,’ for residents to report waste-related issues and receive updates on waste collection services.
Minister Rafiq outlined that the ‘Clean Punjab’ program aims to bring a strong and stable local government system across the province. As part of the new waste management framework, garbage will be collected directly from households, placed in containers, and moved to temporary transfer stations before being transported to the main dumping sites.
The government will also establish four-wall enclosures for garbage collected from villages, with each station serving four union councils. A temporary transfer station will be set up at nearly every tehsil level. All collected garbage will be taken to the dumping points on the same day.
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To ensure full accountability and efficiency, waste collection services will be monitored using biometric attendance, vehicle tracking systems, and geo-tagging. Additionally, vehicles used for waste collection will be weighed at the dumping sites, and complaints will be addressed promptly.
Minister Rafiq emphasized that the Punjab government is providing all necessary resources to ensure the success of the waste management system, stressing that there will be no compromise on cleanliness in the cities and villages.
The meeting was attended by local lawmakers, administrative officials, the Rawalpindi Waste Management Company, local government officials, assistant commissioners, and contractors. Together, they expressed their commitment to the success of the ‘Clean Punjab’ initiative, which aims to improve waste management and create cleaner, more sustainable urban environments. |
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