ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) on Thursday decided to give the go-ahead to a cleanliness and solid waste collection contract for rural areas, while the fate of the contract for urban areas will be decided in light of the decision on a grievance filed by a competing contractor.

Under the around Rs7 billion project, the CDA is all set to issue work orders for rural areas in Zones IV and V in favour of a Turkish company for a four-year term.

Meanwhile, the project worth over Rs10 billion for Zones I and II (urban areas) and Zone III (which falls in the rural area) will be decided after a decision on a grievance filed by a construction company.

Earlier, the CDA had divided Islamabad into two parts, urban and rural, for cleanliness contracts. Both contracts expired in March last year. Since then, the CDA has been carrying out cleanliness work and garbage collection in urban areas through its own staff, private workers and hired machinery.

However, since February 2025, there has been no proper system in place for rural areas, where the CDA carries out secondary garbage collection occasionally. In the absence of any system, residents of rural areas have been forced to dump waste in open areas and nullahs.

“These areas [rural areas] have historically faced challenges of inadequate sanitation infrastructure, scattered settlements, longer collection routes and the absence of a uniform and integrated solid waste management mechanism,” read a press release issued by the CDA.

“CDA, under the vision of Interior Minister Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi and Chairman CDA Sohail Ashraf, has taken a landmark, practical and excellent initiative to address one of the longstanding challenges of Islamabad’s rural areas by introducing a comprehensive Integrated Operations & Resource Planning System for solid waste management for collection and disposal of solid waste in Zones IV and V,” read the press release.

It said that for many years, the rural areas of Islamabad had been badly neglected in terms of systematic cleanliness and solid waste management.

Unlike the developed and central sectors of the federal capital, a comprehensive, organised and technology-enabled mechanism for regular collection, transportation and environmentally responsible disposal of solid waste was not available across these areas.

“The initiative [contract] has been developed in collaboration with a reputed Turkish waste management company, bringing international operational experience, modern machinery and equipment, and technology-based monitoring into the solid waste management system of Islamabad.”

The CDA Board has also approved the comprehensive and effective solid waste disposal plan, paving the way for its phased implementation, which is initially being carried out in Zones IV and V.

Consequently, rural localities including Bani Gala, Ghuri Town and other surrounding areas in Zones IV and V will have a structured and regular solid waste collection and disposal mechanism.

The CDA stated that approximately 342 tons of solid waste per day would be collected with the support of around 1,610 personnel and 103 machinery units.

“A major feature of the initiative is its focus on bringing the 65 rural Union Councils into a properly organised solid waste management network. Each Union Council and collection beat will have defined operational arrangements, including designated teams, vehicles and supervision. Routes will be planned according to local requirements, while collection activities will be monitored through technology and digital reporting,” the statement said.

It said the new system would establish an integrated waste-management chain beginning with door-to-door collection and extending through transportation, transfer-station operations and final disposal.

“Waste from households, commercial establishments and institutions will be collected along defined routes. Vehicles will use GPS-verified routes for transportation to designated facilities, while waste movement and disposal cycles will be monitored to improve efficiency and accountability,” read the press release.

CDA Chairman Sohail Ashraf emphasised that the beauty, cleanliness and environmental sustainability of Islamabad must not remain confined to its developed urban sectors.

“The rural areas are an equally important part of the Federal Capital and deserve the same level of attention, dignity and quality of municipal services. The initiative is therefore rooted in the principle of inclusive development, ensuring that rural communities are brought into the mainstream of Islamabad’s environmental and sanitation planning,” he said.

Published in Dawn, August 28th, 2026