The newly formed Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) government has launched the ‘Suthra Kashmir Programme on the model of Punjab’s Clean Punjab initiative as part of its 100-day reform agenda. Under the programme, the government has decided to hand over the solid waste management system across AJK to the private sector.
Advertisements will be published in newspapers within a week to invite private companies to provide waste management and sanitation services. Government institutions will act as regulators and monitors instead of directly providing cleaning services. In this regard, a meeting was held under the chairmanship of Secretary Local Government and Rural Development Irshad Ahmed Qureshi, where important decisions were taken regarding the implementation of the programme.
The meeting was informed that the government had decided to introduce fundamental changes to the existing solid waste management system. Under the new arrangement, government institutions will monitor and regulate the system, while cleaning and waste management services will be outsourced to private companies and other relevant institutions. It was decided that the solid waste management system in each district would be handed over to the private sector.
According to officials, the Clean Kashmir Programme will not be restricted to major cities but will also cover rural areas. At the village level, elected local government representatives, youth councillors and women will work alongside sanitation workers to ensure the collection of household waste.
According to Irshad Ahmed Qureshi, the government has also included several measures in its 100-day reform plan, including the development of green spaces, procurement of new operational vehicles for solid waste management, establishment of model villages, and beautification of cities.
The Local Government and Rural Development Department, along with elected local government representatives, will be required to play an active role in implementing these initiatives. During the meeting, Deputy Director Babar Minhas gave a detailed briefing on the existing state of solid waste management in AJK and its adverse impact on the natural environment.