The Punjab government has unveiled a comprehensive plan to revolutionize waste management in Lahore. Local Government Minister Zeeshan Rafique announced the establishment of 10 new recycling plants across the city’s divisions. These plants will process garbage collected at the local level, transforming it into usable energy and compost. Any remaining waste will be disposed of responsibly in designated landfill sites.
This initiative comes under the umbrella of the successful “Suthra Punjab program,” which is entering its second and third phases simultaneously. The second phase focuses on ensuring equitable access to municipal services in both rural and urban areas. This will include assigning one sanitation worker per 250 households in rural areas and tehsils. These workers will be responsible for street cleaning, garbage collection, and sewage maintenance.
To improve efficiency and reliability, sanitation services in tehsils will be outsourced. A system of temporary collection points will be established to manage waste collected from homes and markets before transporting it to the new recycling plants.
Digital monitoring will be implemented across the entire sanitation system, encompassing both rural and urban areas. This will ensure transparency, improve efficiency, and prioritize public safety.
Minister Rafique highlighted the program’s potential to create a more human-friendly environment. He emphasized the groundbreaking nature of Suthra Punjab, which tackles critical waste management issues while fostering new opportunities in the recycling sector.
