Improving environment: Clean up operation in Walled City commences

Waste Busters CEO Asif Farooqi said, “We have been running a similar project in Green Town for two years.”

He said that the project was simple and easy to understand. “All we want is to keep the Walled City clean and make the masses aware of its importance.”

The Lahore Waste Management Company’s staff and Waste Busters’ workers will clean 57 streets from Delhi Gate to Chowk Kotwali each morning. They will collect garbage from all houses and shops at 10am, said Farooqi.

Waste Busters will provide a box made from recycled paper to all houses and shops for them to trash waste paper in, he said. “Our staff will collect waste paper from these boxes,” he said.

Farooqi said each household would pay the workers Rs100 per month. He said the amount had been agreed upon by residents of the area.

“We cannot manage this herculean task without help from residents in the area,” he said.

Global Perspective and Sustainability Director Ambreen Waheed said, “The boxes for people to collect waste paper in have been made from recycled agricultural and paper waste. We believe that everything should be recycled.”

She said the boxes were durable. She said the waste paper collected from the Walled City would be recycled to produce more boxes.

“The youth can play an effective role in making this project a success,” Waheed said, “We hope that students join us in the effort.”

She said they wanted to make students aware of the importance of keeping the city clean, as “it is our social responsibility”.

Actor Faryal Ali Gauhar said, “The term cultural heritage does not only extend to buildings but also refers to how we deal with traditions, our way of living and world view.”

Walled City of Lahore Authority Director Kamran Lashari said the big difference between people in the West and here was that they loved and respected their cultural heritage.

“We need to change our mindsets and realise that it is our responsibility to preserve the streets, houses and buildings in the city,” he said.

Residents of the Walled City must support the project, he said.

He requested the students present on the occasion to help mobilise teams to create awareness about the issue.

WCLA Deputy Director Tania Qureshi said, “The Royal Trail project will be completed soon. We need to bring about a behavioural change regarding cleanliness among the residents of the area so we can keep it clean.”

She said she hoped that they would soon present a clean and an environment friendly Walled City to tourists.

Students from several schools distributed pamphlets to people in Delhi Gate to raise awareness.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 3^rd, 2013.