Since 2016, the management of waste generated in Karachi and Sindh has been outsourced to Chinese companies under a service agreement model. More recently, Turkish companies have been contracted to pick rubbish in Hyderabad. Contractors are responsible for door-to-door waste collection, commercial waste pickup, and landfill transportation. However, the system is plagued with corruption, inefficiency, and labor exploitation.
The Sindh Solid Waste Management Board (SSWMB) was created to oversee operations, but instead of taking direct responsibility, it outsourced everything. Although the Board spends from a budget of over Pkr 8 crore every day, the result is garbage, garbage everywhere. Furthermore, workers who collect mounds of trash get pittance wages.
According to the SSWMB, their payments are made on the basis of the weight of the collected garbage – where 10,000 to 12,000 tons are transported daily. Critics argue that the board has failed to fulfill even 1% of its duties, leaving Karachi’s waste problem to worsen. Calls to cancel these contracts and establish a structured, city-run system with clear collection schedules and designated dumping areas have been ignored.
Workers under Chinese contractors face severe exploitation. Despite an official wage of 720 rupees per day, many receive only 500 rupees after illegal deductions. Their monthly salaries should be 21,000 rupees, yet they are paid just 6,000 rupees every 15 days. Even on Eid holidays, wages are unlawfully deducted. No medical support is provided—if a worker falls sick, their wage for the day is cut.
The situation exposes Karachi’s waste crisis as not just a failure of governance but a crime against workers and citizens. The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP)-led government at the provincial and district levels has enabled these illegal labor practices while the city’s waste management collapses under multiple subcontracting.
How are Chinese companies, which legally cannot engage in public dealings in Pakistan, allowed to operate unchecked? With multiple subcontracting layers, accountability has vanished, leaving Karachi drowning in its own garbage.