RAWALPINDI, Aug. 3: The Rawalpindi Waste Management Company (RWMC) has launched a comprehensive sanitation operation to ensure a zero-waste environment for the main Chehlum procession commemorating the martyrs of Karbala, undertaking extensive cleaning and disinfection along the procession route and adjoining areas.
As part of the operation, RWMC teams are carrying out mechanical sweeping, road washing, lime sprinkling, drain desilting, cleaning of waste containers, and disinfectant spraying on the main procession route, around Imambargahs, adjoining streets, and surrounding localities. The measures are aimed at providing mourners with a clean, safe, and healthy environment throughout the religious event.
Reviewing the arrangements, RWMC Chief Executive Officer Rana Sajid Safdar said all leave of sanitation staff had been cancelled to ensure uninterrupted sanitation services. He added that additional workers had been deployed across key locations to effectively manage waste collection and maintain cleanliness during the procession.
He said sanitation teams would remain on duty throughout the procession, while a comprehensive post-event clean-up operation would begin immediately after its conclusion to restore the entire route to a zero-waste condition.
According to the RWMC, special sanitation arrangements have been made along the entire procession route, covering Colonel Maqbool Imambargah, Committee Chowk, College Road, Bird Market, Raja Bazaar, Bara Market, Old Qila, Jamia Masjid Road, Qadeemi Imambargah, Bani Chowk, and Kartarpura.
Rana Sajid Safdar appealed to citizens to support the sanitation campaign by avoiding littering, placing waste in bags, and disposing of it in designated waste containers and collection points.
He emphasized that keeping the city clean is a shared responsibility and said the vision of a Clean Punjab can only be achieved through active public cooperation.