ISLAMABAD (MNN); A new Capital Development Authority (CDA) plan for solid waste management in Islamabad’s rural areas has drawn attention to what the authority itself acknowledges as years of neglect and the absence of a proper waste collection and disposal system in Zones IV and V.
The CDA has announced a new Integrated Operations and Resource Planning System for solid waste collection, transportation and disposal across 65 rural union councils, including areas such as Bani Gala, Ghouri Town and adjoining localities.
However, the announcement has also raised questions about why residents of large parts of rural Islamabad were left without regular, organised and modern waste management services for such a long period, despite being part of the federal capital.
According to the CDA’s own plan, rural and semi-urban areas have suffered from limited sanitation infrastructure, scattered populations, difficult collection routes and the absence of a uniform and integrated waste management system. The authority now plans to introduce the system under the leadership of CDA Chairman Sohail Ashraf.
Under the proposed plan, approximately 342 tonnes of solid waste per day will be managed through a workforce of around 1,610 personnel and 103 machinery units. The project is expected to be implemented in phases, beginning with Zones IV and V.
The new system promises door-to-door waste collection, transfer stations, route optimisation, GPS tracking, digital reporting and a central command and control mechanism. It also includes performance indicators aimed at monitoring service delivery and accountability.
While the CDA has described the initiative as a major step towards inclusive development, critics are likely to question why such basic municipal services were not provided earlier to residents of rural Islamabad.
The authority itself acknowledges that for decades, rural areas of the federal capital received comparatively fewer solid waste management facilities. The new initiative, therefore, represents not only a future plan but also an admission that a significant section of Islamabad’s population has remained underserved in an essential public service.
The CDA Board has approved the plan, which will be implemented in phases. The success of the project will now depend on whether the authority can move beyond announcements and ensure the timely deployment of manpower, machinery, collection routes and monitoring systems across all 65 union councils.
For residents of Zones IV and V, the key question remains whether this long-awaited initiative will finally translate into regular and reliable waste collection, or remain another ambitious plan awaiting effective implementation.
