Local Government’s Vision for Sustainable Waste Management and Recycling
Local Government Minister Zeeshan Rafique has unveiled plans to set up 10 recycling plants across Lahore at the divisional level.
These plants will play a crucial role in transforming garbage collected from villages and wards into energy and compost. Any remaining waste will be properly disposed of in designated landfill sites. Minister Rafique shared these details during a press conference held on Sunday.
He highlighted the success of the initial phase of the “Suthra Punjab program” and announced the forthcoming launch of the second and third phases simultaneously. The second phase aims to ensure equitable municipal services across rural and urban areas.
Under the plan, each rural area and tehsil will have one sanitation worker for every 250 houses. Their responsibilities will include tasks like street cleaning, garbage collection, and sewage maintenance. To enhance efficiency, the sanitation system will be outsourced at the tehsil level, with garbage from homes and markets directed to temporary collection points.
Moreover, a digital monitoring system will be introduced to oversee the new sanitation measures in both rural and urban areas, ensuring their effectiveness and safety.
Minister Rafique stressed the program’s commitment to making the environment more hospitable for humans. He also emphasized the innovative approach of the Suthra Punjab program in addressing waste management challenges and opening up new prospects in the recycling sector.