Bahawalpur Waste Management Company (BWMC)
Prior to 2014, Bahawalpur, sometimes known as the “city of palaces,” was in danger of ranking among Pakistan’s dirtiest cities; the poor state of cleanliness affected every resident. There was an extremely high prevalence of disease outbreaks, the spread of dangerous illnesses, and fatal skin allergies. Illegal dumpsites encircled the entire city. Problems such as burning of rubbish, dirty plots, dusty roads, and unclean residential areas were widespread. Poisoning the subsurface water was a result of municipal trash.
Although it appeared as though the city had no waste management system in place, TMA really oversaw the entire operation. The Tehsil Municipal Corporation was in charge of maintaining the city’s overall cleanliness. Waste experts were lacking. There are no merit-based hiring or transfer policies for sanitary staff. The entire procedure, from sweeping to dumping, was based on antiquated, harmful methods, and there was no monitoring system in place. The state of the city’s cleanliness was extremely poor, dangerous, and unhealthy. There was no waste sector reform, no monitoring system, etc.
Formation of the Bahawalpur Waste Management Company.
The BWMC was primarily established by the Punjab government with the goal of giving the people of Bahawalpur a tidy and clean environment. Thus, the Punjabi government established the Bahawalpur Waste Management Company (BWMC) to complement the city’s long-standing, organized, modern, sustainable integrated waste management system.
In the garbage sector at the time, Lahore garbage Management Company was innovative and put to the test. GOP therefore wants to implement the same strategy in the remaining seven locations. Consequently, on July 13, 2013, Bahawalpur Waste Management Company (BWMC) was registered with Registrar Joint Stock Companies (RJSC) as a non-profit organization and formed as limited by Guarantee Company under section 42 of the Companies Ordinance 1984. BWMC has entered into an agreement Tehsil Municipal Corporation (TMA) Bahawalpur city, which is effective from 13 December 2013 and would expire on 13 December 2033.
BWMC has following wings:
Operations Wing
Finance Wing
MIS Wing
Admin & HR Wing
Procurement Wing
Communication Wing
BWMC Reforms
Implemented numerous new reforms in the SWM of Bahawalpur to address these issues. Comprehensive planning BWMC thinks that the key to successfully completing any assignment is having the finest possible planning. With this in mind, the company has devised the most comprehensive plan possible, which includes a number of maps of Bahawalpur City, the mapping and borders of the UC, the worker’s beat system, the lengths of the streets, the mapping of the city’s roadways, the garbage collection to dumping mechanism, and other formal matters. All of this preparation turned out to be crucial to the efficient operation of the field operations and office.
Open Sourcing of Machinery and Vehicles
For the past seven years, BWMC has sourced all of its machinery and vehicles in accordance with Punjab Procurement regulations. For the past seven years, BWMC has sourced all of its machinery and vehicles in accordance with Punjab Procurement regulations. Openness is the first priority, and every procurement is carried out solely on the basis of merit. The transparent, merit-based procurement is carried out by the specialized procurement unit, which is led by the manager of procurement.
Purchasing brand-new, cutting-edge waste vehicles and machinery.
The BWMC’s first goal was to add the updated vehicles for garbage collection and transportation. The 90-vehicle fleet was added by BWMC to the WM System Specifications, which were derived from waste specialists. Every vehicle was acquired by means of a public tender procedure, based only on merit. All of the cars are now operating at maximum capacity.
Efficiency of waste collection
Only 30% of the total waste was being collected by BWMC TMA prior to this. BWMC divides work into three shifts and emphasizes that no waste should be left over from a single working day. Using a vehicle tracking and management system, all waste vehicles were kept under observation. Every step of the process, including sweeping, collection, and transportation, was observed. Every employee’s work was guaranteed, and stringent supervisory inspections were conducted. Consequently, the efficiency of waste collection soars to 100%.
Professional and technical staff induction by BWMC
BWMC assembled a group of experts from the public and private sectors who possess the necessary expertise, experience, and knowledge to oversee daily operations and carry out plans and directives. The professionals are chosen based on their qualifications, experience, and education, and they are providing full-time assistance in their departments.
Improvement of sanitary workers’ standing in society
Waste workers were added, and sanitary workers’ names were changed in an effort to boost their social standing. Waste workers were converted into a labor force and given free access to contemporary shoes, masks, hats, gloves, and uniforms that became their identity. The staff was equipped with modern handcarts and tools to facilitate their work. 950 workers completed their computerized enrolment and received company cards for the first time in history. For the deceased waste workers, a sum of $25,000 was made available for burial. It was made sure that free medical examinations, tests, and medications were available.
Strategic Operation
Operationally, the city is split into three basic zones, with 854 employees, including workers and supervisors, assigned to various fields. There are ninety-one vehicles in BWMC’s operational fleet. In order to maintain the city’s clean appearance, BWMC decided to divide its work and cleaning into two main shifts: morning and evening.
IT-Based Staff Attendance System
BWMC uses cutting-edge technology and IT interventions to monitor its operations. To do this, it built a high-tech control room in the office. The IRIS shield and smart phones are used to track staff attendance. The technology uses each employee’s retina as a unique identifier, ensuring that the zero ghost worker policy is upheld.
Employee Training
For the first time in the history of waste management, training was introduced to improve employee capabilities and enable them to carry out their responsibilities in compliance with company-established protocols. BWMC carried out capacity building trainings for officers, drivers, and sanitary staff with the aforementioned goal in mind.
Vehicle Monitoring System
Vehicle movements are tracked in real time through the use of VTMS, and geofencing reports are shared continuously to verify the presence of the vehicles. Every one of the 1450 trash cans positioned throughout the field is digitally marked, geofenced, and dashboard-monitored. The Local Government Department, the Chief Minister’s complaint cell, and the third party assess more BWMC performance.
Complaint Redressed System
In order to maximize assistance, the citizens’ complaint helpline 1139 is operational 24/7 and handles the complaints that the citizens register.
Controlling Waste Land
In order to maintain a clean and healthy environment, BWMC initially moved the dumpsite outside of the city after it was established. The dumpsite’s current distance from the city is 14 KM. High-speed vehicles are used to transport waste to disposal sites. The Dumpsite is capped and covered scientifically. Every illicit dump site in the city was closed by BWMC. The garbage is transported in covered form to the disposal site. According to science, a landfill site is being developed.
BWMC Successes
The governments of Punjab and Pakistan award BWMC numerous titles in recognition of its outstanding service provision and persistent improvements.
Clean & Green Punjab Program Winner
By making Bahawalpur City one of Punjab’s cleanest cities, BWMC wins the 2018 clean & Green Punjab Program. The Punjabi government is grateful for Bahawalpur Waste Management Company’s services and recognized it as the top-performing company in the province’s Prime Minister’s Clean & Green Index program ranking of cities. Â
Through the company’s efforts, Bahawalpur City was named the cleanest city in Pakistan in the “Clean & Green Pakistan Index Ranking” competition, which was held by the Federal Ministry of Climate Change in 2020. The Prime Minister of Pakistan personally announced the results and gave Deputy Commissioner Bahawalpur a certificate in recognition of this remarkable accomplishment.
Holder of the EID-UL-ADHA Events Position
Muslims celebrate Eid-ul-Azha as a special occasion when the Ummah fulfills its duty of sacrifice. One of the Muslim nations in the world where the greatest sacrifices are made is Pakistan. Following health regulations when diving is no less than difficult. The government has acknowledged that for the past eight years, BMWC has provided sufficient arrangements for cleanliness in the city during Eid-ul-Adha in Bahawalpur thanks to its expert strategy and integrated operational mechanism. And the public has expressed gratitude for it. The company was granted the second position in Punjab in 2021 and the third position in 2022 thanks to its outstanding Eid strategy.
Zero Waste Objective/Policy
The operations team in Bahawalpur, along with sanitary workers and waste machinery, came up with another creative idea to turn the city into a waste-free zone. They also started the Zero Waste campaign at every UC level and maintained the required level of cleanliness until the UC was waste-free. The idea was well received by the community, and both civil society and the general public had positive things to say about it.
One store, one trash can
Since businesses are the primary producers of plastic and municipal waste, BWMC constantly faces challenges in managing their waste. Thus, BWMC came up with the idea that each store would set up a waste bin inside and store all of their waste inside of it. BWMC made the necessary special personnel available for the stated purpose in order to remove the waste at the mutually agreed upon time. This innovation signifies a shift, as commercial waste is significantly reduced.
The “SAAF BHAHAWALPUR” mobile app
Since its founding, the Bahawalpur Waste Management Company has prioritized the needs of the general public and brought fresh concepts to enhance the city’s environmental system. BWMC released the “Saaf Bahawalpur” mobile application with this goal in mind. Residents can now report trash anywhere within the company’s boundaries using the Saaf Bahawalpur app. By using the pictorial evidence, they can register their complaints, which are then forwarded to the BWMC complaint desk for redressel.
BWMC Future Planning
BWMC working of the future projects mentioned below.
Composting
Waste to Energy Project
Installation of Bio Gas Plant
Construction of Landfill site
Segregation Plant
Self sustainability through Waste Tax
Recycling Plant
Waste Processing
The Way Ahead
The BWMC’s top goal is to implement a state-of-the-art sanitation system that will see every Bahawalpur home, street, and alley cleaned. In order to ensure that our future generations can grow up in a clean and healthy environment, the best conditions should be provided. a system whereby the people of Bahawalpur themselves carry out their civic duties to maintain a clean environment and establish the city as the cleanest in Pakistan. With the arrival of BWMC, a new era marked by both a cleaner environment and a degree of half-faith in people’s lives has begun.