Residents and Students Suffer as Garbage Dump Burns Daily Near Ali Nawaz Chowk, Chaklala Cantonment
Nadeem Umer
Rawalpindi: Residents and students in Ward 1 of Chaklala Cantonment Board (CCB) are facing severe air pollution as garbage is burned daily at the dumping site near Ali Nawaz Chowk, opposite the tire market. The site, located close to the Rawalpindi Medical University (RMU) girls’ hostel, has become a constant source of toxic smoke and foul odor, raising serious health and environmental concerns.
For over a week, piles of waste have been deliberately set on fire each morning., witnesses said, with the smoke lingering throughout the day. Female students from the RMU hostel, who live directly behind the dump, complained that their living conditions have become unbearable. “We wake up to black smoke every morning. It’s getting harder to breathe, and many of us are developing coughs and chest pain,” said Hina Shah, a medical student. Another student, Ayesha Khalid, added that several girls already suffering from asthma and respiratory allergies have seen their conditions worsen due to continuous smoke exposure.
Nearby shopkeepers and residents echoed the same frustration. Muhammad Imran, who runs a tire shop opposite the dump, said, “Most of the time, it’s the Cantonment Board’s own workers who burn the trash to reduce its volume. When we stop them, they ignore us or blame others. The smell of burning plastic and rubber makes it impossible to work.”
Locals, including Asad Ali, Sajjad Hussain, and Rashid Mehmood, confirmed that garbage collection in the area is irregular the sanitation department removes waste only every two or three days, usually late in the evening. “The area stays covered in thick smoke for hours,” said Asad Ali. “Children, elderly residents, and women are suffering from breathing difficulties and throat infections. The situation is worsening day by day.”
Adding to residents’ concerns, local citizens pointed out that sanitation workers are neither trained nor aware of the dangers of open garbage burning. “They don’t understand the health risks of burning plastic, rubber, and other waste materials,” said Naseer Ahmed, a community elder. “These workers need proper training on air pollution and environmental safety. The Cantonment Board should ensure they are educated about the serious health hazards caused by burning garbage including toxic air, respiratory diseases, and long term environmental damage.”
Environmentalists emphasize that burning mixed waste releases dangerous toxins such as dioxins and carbon monoxide, severely deteriorating local air quality and contributing to respiratory illnesses. Hamza Malik, a local, described the scene: “The smoke spreads over nearby residential areas, schools, and the RMU hostel. It’s an environmental disaster in the making, and authorities cannot afford to stay silent.”
Despite repeated complaints from residents, students, and shop owners, the Chaklala Cantonment Board has not issued any statement or taken visible action. Citizens are urging the CEO Chaklala Cantonment Board and Rawalpindi district administration to intervene, enforce a ban on open garbage burning, and provide training programs for sanitation workers to adopt safe waste management practices.
