KARACHI and Lahore, the 2 major metros in Pakistan, need extensive cosmetic surgery. A Panos Features report says that Karachi generates 5,000 tonnes of garbage a day and only about a 3rd of it is lifted.

Holding their noses, the Japanese have very generously gifted around 100 refuse vans to the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation. The Japanese government has also given a grant of ***Rs 200 million to finance a solid waste management project.

In Lahore, meanwhile, the problem of disposing of a gargantuan 2,600 tonnes of waste has kicked a reluctant Punjab administration into deciding to approach the private sector to tackle the pollution and sanitation menace in Lahore.