Sindh CM inaugurates Jam Chakro landfill, expects $20m in carbon credits

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has inaugurated the first phase of Sindh’s first scientifically designed landfill project at Jam Chakro. The project aims to dispose of Karachi’s waste in a safe and modern way, reduce environmental pollution and improve the waste transport system.

Provincial Minister for Local Government Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, Provincial Minister for Labour Saeed Ghani, Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab and other officials were present at the ceremony. The chief minister inspected the project and was briefed on the progress of construction.

Project details

The project, being completed with financial and technical support from the World Bank, will cost $105 million in total. This includes $100 million from the World Bank and $5 million from the Sindh government. According to the chief minister, the project’s cost is about Rs14 billion.

Murad Ali Shah said the Jam Chakro landfill was an important step towards modernising waste management in Karachi. He said dumping waste by traditional methods increased the risks of environmental pollution and the spread of disease, and a modern system could reduce these harms.

The landfill site, spread over about 150 acres, uses special layers and geotextile material to protect the land from contamination. A system has also been set up to collect and safely handle the contaminated liquid that comes out of the waste. Arrangements have also been made for weighing waste, keeping records and environmental monitoring.

The chief minister said the possibility of collecting methane gas produced by the waste and using it to generate energy could also be examined. He praised the World Bank’s support and said the project would build the capacity of the Sindh Solid Waste Management Board and the Local Government Department.

The briefing said three engineered cells of the landfill site had been completed, while overall progress on construction stood at 61.67 per cent. The target for completing the remaining work is 30 November 2026.

The chief minister directed officials to keep an accurate daily record of waste, run the weighing system effectively and dump waste only in the designated cells. He also stressed strengthening the system of monitoring and accountability.

Waste transfer stations

Murad Ali Shah said four waste transfer stations were also being set up along with the landfill at Sharafi Goth, Danga Mor, Imtiaz and Gutter Baghicha. Their combined capacity will be 6,500 tonnes a day. Waste collected at these stations will be taken to the landfill site in large vehicles.

According to the briefing, work is 71.43 per cent complete at the Sharafi Goth station, 62.82 per cent at Imtiaz, 51.92 per cent at Gutter Baghicha and 14.11 per cent at Danga Mor. The targets are to complete the Sharafi Goth station by 30 October, the Imtiaz and Gutter Baghicha stations by 30 November 2026, and the Danga Mor station by 30 March 2027.

The chief minister directed the officials concerned to speed up construction and to coordinate all stages, from collecting waste to disposing of it.

The chief minister said that, according to an estimate by the World Bank’s technical team, the project could earn carbon credits worth about $20 million. He said the necessary steps, including registration of the project, had been taken for this purpose. Citing Sindh’s experience of earning carbon credits through mangrove plantation in Thatta, he said the government was taking steps to secure economic benefits along with environmental protection.

Water and roads

On water supply in Karachi, the chief minister said the Sindh government had remodelled the Hub Canal to improve its capacity and had asked the federal government to increase the water supplied to the city from Hub Dam. He said the government wanted to supply Karachi with 200 million gallons a day instead of 100 million. The matter of supplying an additional 100 million gallons is with the federal government, and its approval will help improve the availability of water in the city.

Murad Ali Shah announced that a Rs13 billion programme had been prepared for the construction, repair and rehabilitation of roads in Karachi. Besides main roads, it includes internal roads and streets under the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation and town administrations. He said work was expected to start in the first week of November and be completed in three months. The target is to bring a marked improvement in the condition of the city’s damaged roads by February.

Expressing concern that roads dug up for utility services were not being properly restored, the chief minister directed the Local Government Department’s commission to review how the money collected for road cutting was being used. He said the money should be spent only on restoring the affected roads and that transparency in its use must be ensured.

Visit to China

Speaking of his recent visit to China, the chief minister said the Sindh Investment and Trade Conference in Shanghai was a success. He said remarkable development was seen in Shanghai and that progress speeds up wherever investment comes. The Sindh government wants to learn from Shanghai’s experience and bring investment to Karachi.

He said Karachi and Shanghai were twin cities and the provincial government was exploring possibilities of cooperation in infrastructure, urban development and investment. The Sindh cabinet will be briefed on the talks and agreements held during the China visit, after which further details will be released.

The chief minister said investment opportunities were also discussed with Shanghai Electric, including a proposed plant to make seawater usable. Shanghai Electric is already a partner in the Thar coal power project. He said details of these proposals would be placed before the cabinet.

On political questions

Asked about the creation of new provinces, Murad Ali Shah said the Sindh Assembly had rejected such proposals several times and passed resolutions. He said everyone had the right to give an opinion, but the procedure laid down in the Constitution must be followed and the required legislative approval obtained to create new provinces.

On the matter of governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the chief minister said it was not a preferred option politically, but the Constitution allowed it in specific circumstances. He said the federal and provincial governments should work together to deal with terrorism and other security challenges.

Murad Ali Shah said that, given the threats from the eastern and western borders, a coordinated national strategy and close cooperation among the institutions concerned were essential. He said political differences should be resolved through dialogue so that national security and stability could be strengthened.

The chief minister said the sealed report of the judicial commission would be presented at the Sindh cabinet meeting the next day. After the report is opened, the future course of action will be decided according to the cabinet’s decision.

Murad Ali Shah said the Sindh government was committed to bringing investment, adopting modern technology and benefiting from international experience to improve water, energy, urban services and infrastructure. According to him, the Jam Chakro landfill project is an important step towards making Karachi a clean and environment-friendly city.