MARDAN: The Water and Sanitation Services Company Mardan (WSSCM) removed and safely disposed of 13,530 tons of solid waste from 14 union councils over the past three months, while resolving 2,015 public complaints during the same period.
The performance was reviewed at a special meeting chaired by WSSCM Chief Executive Officer Engineer Adil Nawaz, with department heads briefing participants on the company’s recent operations, ongoing projects and future plans.
According to the briefing, 110 tons of waste were transported to the company’s compost plant, producing 24 tons of organic fertilizer, of which six tons were sold. In coordination with the district administration, anti-encroachment operations also cleared six kilometres of permanent encroachments from key locations.
The removal of encroachments from drains enabled WSSCM teams to clear and safely dispose of 4,500 tons of silt and debris. Three of seven identified water-accumulation hotspots have also been completely cleared, with officials expecting the work to reduce water buildup during rainfall.
A PC-I worth Rs60 million has been submitted to the district administration for the construction and rehabilitation of drains following the anti-encroachment operations.
Officials said 187 kilometres of Mardan’s 446-kilometre drainage network were cleaned during the reporting period, removing 8,497 tons of silt. Nine new drain gratings were installed and 18 repaired, while covers were placed over 26 open manholes to improve public safety.
The company also replaced 6,450 feet of water-supply pipelines in two union councils and disconnected 30 illegal water connections. SCADA systems have been activated at six of the city’s 25 tube wells to improve monitoring, operational efficiency and electricity consumption.
Under the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Cities Improvement Project (KPCIP), approval of Variation Order-II will allow an additional 20-kilometre sewerage network to be developed, along with house-to-house sewerage connections. Officials said the project is expected to improve wastewater management and treatment.
The meeting was also informed that WSSCM has prepared a plan to reduce expenditures and increase revenue. As part of the revenue-generation measures, service charge bills have been issued to more than 10,000 shops in the city to support municipal cleanliness and service delivery.
CEO Engineer Adil Nawaz directed officers to further improve performance, particularly in the Operations and Revenue Wings, and ensure timely resolution of public complaints while maintaining service standards.