Rawalpindi — The city’s waste management system is facing growing criticism as residents accuse Rawalpindi Waste Management Company (RWMC) garbage trucks of spilling contaminated wastewater and rubbish along major roads, endangering public health and road safety.
The trucks, tasked with transporting waste from urban “filth depots” to the city’s main dumping ground, are often overloaded and left uncovered, resulting in foul-smelling, germ-laden liquid leaking onto busy routes such as Murree Road, Rawal Road, Committee Chowk, Katchery Chowk, Rashid Minhas Road, and the road to Sawan. Rubbish scattered along these roads has also become a daily sight.
Between 8am and 10am — peak office and college hours — these vehicles depart from waste depots at locations like Committee Chowk Sunday Bazaar and Liaquat Bagh near RWMC headquarters, leaving behind a trail of stench and filth. Many also leak oil or diesel, creating slippery hazards that have already caused multiple accidents.
On Wednesday morning, one such truck leaking diesel and toxic wastewater caused four motorcyclists to skid and crash. Two of the bikes were carrying female passengers. All four sustained serious injuries, with one victim, Iftikharuddin, suffering severe leg trauma. Passers-by provided first aid before rushing them to the hospital.
Malik Zaheer Awan, Chairman of the Citizen Action Committee (CAC), alleged that RWMC staff deliberately pour water onto waste at depots to increase truck weight for inflated performance records and payment claims. He warned the contaminated runoff poses severe health risks, contributing to respiratory illnesses, hepatitis, tuberculosis, skin diseases, and eye infections.
“When these trucks stop at traffic signals, the stench engulfs the entire junction. Motorists can roll up their windows, but motorcyclists and pedestrians have no escape,” Awan said.
Despite repeated complaints, residents say little has changed. District Coordination Committee Chairman, MNA Engineer Qamarul Islam, promised to end the transport of wet waste, enforce strict disposal standards, and allocate funds for system improvements.
An RWMC spokesperson insisted all dumpers were operational and pledged to address any isolated complaints. But shopkeepers and residents along Murree Road, Liaquat Bagh Chowk, and Talian Shahan maintain that toxic leakage is a daily reality, and three years of protests have brought no meaningful action.
