Commissioner reviews sanitation operations in Bhalwal tehsil

SARGODHA, Feb 17 :Commissioner Sargodha Division, Jahanzeb Awan on Monday chaired a meeting and reviewed the sanitation operations under the “Suthra Punjab” initiative in Bhalwal Tehsil.
The meeting included a detailed briefing on the efforts of the Sargodha Waste Management Company (SWMC) in maintaining cleanliness across the tehsil.

Officials informed the Commissioner that a total of 312 sanitation workers, including 241 sanitary workers, 53 drivers, 13 center supervisors, and 5 helpers, were actively engaged in field operations. Additionally, 53 different machines were being utilized for waste collection and disposal.
To enhance efficiency, 75 handcarts had been provided to workers, while 35 small and 10 large containers, along with 100 drums, had been placed throughout the tehsil.
A 17-member monitoring staff had also been deployed by SWMC, and monitoring committees consisting of respected community members were being formed in every union council.
The tehsil had been divided into three zones: Zone 1 (Urban) covering 24 wards, Zone 2 consisting of 7 rural union councils, and Zone 3 comprising 8 rural union councils.
During the last 12 days, 1,800 tonnes of waste had been collected and transferred to the dumping site. A Zero Waste Campaign would also be launched soon, focusing on clearing 220 long-standing garbage dumps across the tehsil.

Moreover, mechanical sweeping and scheduled road washing had been planned for urban areas.

A special cleaning gang would be on duty from 2 pm to 6 pm in busy markets while to ensure transparency, an online monitoring system for all machinery and vehicles had also been introduced.
Commissioner Jahanzeb Awan appreciated the Assistant Commissioner’s efforts in a successful anti-encroachment operation in Bhalwal and instructed the officials to continue their work with the same dedication.
He emphasized the importance of raising public awareness, particularly among traders, through training programmes on cleanliness.
The Commissioner also ordered strict monitoring of sanitation activities in rural areas and directed cleaning along railway tracks.
He stressed that all Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) must be strictly followed at the dumping site.
He described the establishment of Waste Management Company and the Suthra Punjab campaign as revolutionary initiatives by the government, noting that such large-scale sanitation efforts, including road washing and rural cleanliness, were unprecedented.
He urged the administrative officers, the Waste Management Company, and contractors to take ownership of the initiative, highlighting that public response had been overwhelmingly positive, leading to heightened expectations.
Lastly, he directed the Assistant Commissioner Bhalwal to focus on the restoration of sewer system and desilting of drains alongside the anti-encroachment drive.
The Commissioner also announced that he and other administrative officers would soon conduct surprise visits to urban and rural areas to assess the on-ground situation and gather public feedback.
The meeting was attended by Deputy Commissioner Capt (Retd) Muhammad Waseem, Additional Commissioner Coordination Rai Muhammad Yasir Bhatti, CEO SWMC Rana Shahid Imran, Assistant Commissioner Bhalwal Salman Akbar, Deputy Director Local Government Babar Shehzad Ranjha, Tehsil Manager Abu Bakar, and other officials, including representatives from the contracting firm.