The construction of a new waste disposal site for the twin cities on Mandra-Chakwal Road has stalled since the Rawalpindi Waste Management Company was unable to obtain control of the property despite paying the tax department Rs. 900 million.
Previously, a memorandum of understanding (MOU) had been signed between the Capital Development Authority and the Rawalpindi Waste Management Company (RWMC) for a waste disposal dump site.
The project also sought to create 18 megawatts of power by repurposing solid waste, hence reducing pollution. The RWMC decided to give the CDA 400 kanals of land for the dump site.
For this purpose, land of 1,265 kanals on Mandra Chakwal Road in villages Bagnial, Dera Pothi, and Sahang Tehsil Gujjar Khan had been purchased.
The site is located over six kilometers downhill from GT Road on Mandra Chakwal Road and 55 kilometers from the city, however, no progress has been made on the project since the RWMC did not obtain custody of the land.
On the contrary, the capability for depositing rubbish at the Losar landfill site near GT Road has also been depleted.
The RWMC gathers around 850 tonnes of solid garbage per day from Rawalpindi and its vicinity. Solid trash is transported to the landfill site, which has nearly reached its capacity.
RWMC General Manager Operations, Hasnain Ahmed, stated that RWMC has not yet received custody of the aforementioned land and that they are experiencing difficulties in beginning construction work.
He indicated that as quickly as the RWMC receives custody of the land, an incinerator capable of producing 18 megawatts of power per day will be produced.
On the other side, the recycling process generates green waste that may be utilized as fertilizer. The solid waste recycling plant will also aid in the reduction of pollutants in the environment.
The capital, which produces over 600 tonnes of waste per day, lacks a permanent disposal site, forcing the civic agency to dump trash in the undeveloped I-12 area, where the CDA has already granted hundreds of plots and plans to begin construction in the coming months.