CDGR launches drive to abolish child rag-picking
By Adnan Rafique

RAWALPINDI—The City District Government (CDG) would soon launch a drive to abolish child labour from the rag-picking sector and the affected children would be provided free of cost education facilities coupled with stipend.
“In this regard, the CDG would hire contractors with adult laborers for rag-picking to abolish the role of child labour from the rag-picking sector,” said District Coordination Officer (DCO) Irfan Elahi while chairing the 3rd meeting of District Coordination Committee (DCC) for abolishing the child labour from the rag-picking sector in Rawalpindi district.
The DCO said the hired contractors would be responsible for the drive in specific jurisdictions who may take away re-usable items from the garbage and the rest of the garbage would be disposed off.
The CDG would also ensure that the child labour is abolished from the rag-picking sector and rather adult labour is hired for the operation.
The DCO asked the Executive District Officer (Municipal Services) to assist the ITA and provide two separate bins in each house of Dhok Hassu for disposing of organic and inorganic materials separately.
He asked the EDO (Health) to take steps for disposing of the hospital waste and take away wastes from the private hospitals, provide disposal dust-bins there and then dispose it free of cost.
He said that it should be also ensured that use syringes are broken and monitor that there should be no recycling of these syringes to use them again.
The DCO said that proper guidance should provide to the people through the cooperation of Union Council to ensure better solid waste management.
The social pressure is the best way to overcome this particular problem, he maintained.
He sought further idea for the success of this project saying it is on your part to float the idea, we would implement it after seeing pros and cons.
Project Coordinator of Idara-e-Taleem-o-Agahi Child Labour elimination programme, Imtiaz Nizami briefed DCO about the ongoing projects of the organization to eliminate child labour and ensure free education to them.
It was told that ten drop-In centres are being run by the ITA and free of cost education is being provided to the scavengers with focus on reducing the drop out rate.
He said that families and siblings of these rag picking children are also supported and capacity building of teachers is also done to ensure their participation.
Regarding health facilities to the rag-picking children, the DCO said dispensaries of the CDG can be used for this purpose. The DCO asked for intervention from time to time to check the drop out rate before and after the capacity building of the teaches to see result validity.
Imtiaz Nizami also told DCO about the child domestic labour project of ITA launched in collaboration with Ministry of Social Welfare and Special Education.
The meeting was told that building for the Child Welfare and Protection Bureau has been provided which would be inaugurated on November 20. The sustainability of these projects is crucial to contribute towards the progressive elimination of child labour in the domestic services of the country, the DCO said.