Mounds of garbage add to city’s troubles

Punjab’s capital city has once again returned to the path to becoming a garbage dump after the Lahore Waste Management Company (LWMC) was unable to reach an agreement with the new cleaning firm, a private source reported on Friday.

The sanitation situation in Lahore has deteriorated, with rubbish strewn across the streets making it impossible for citizens to pass through due to the stench.

Businesses, too, have come to a standstill due to the piles of garbage and citizens have expressed outrage over the seemingly negligent behaviour of the authorities as trash is not being picked up from the streets and neighbourhoods for many days.

What’s more, with summers around the corner, mosquitoes’ breeding season has also started, which increases the danger of spreading diseases such as malaria and dengue virus.

The LWMC, in its defence, said some 5,000 tonnes of garbage is collected from Lahore on a daily basis, with 3,000 tonnes picked up a day prior.

On Friday, Lahore’s total garbage amounted to 7,000 tonnes, the LWMC underlined, noting that negotiations for a likely agreement with the new cleaning company were underway.