Minister Reviews Progress on Waste-to-Value Phase

By Farzana Chaudhry | Lahore, Pakistan
LAHORE: Local Government Minister Zeeshan Rafique on Tuesday reviewed administrative matters of the Suthra Punjab Authority and assessed progress on the waste-to-value phase during a meeting held at the Civil Secretariat. Deliberations were also held on the proposed Suthra Punjab Authority Bill.
Secretary Local Government Shakeel Ahmed Mian, Special Secretary Arshad Baig, and Additional Secretary Quratul Ain attended the meeting, while Director General Suthra Punjab Authority Babar Sahib Din joined via video link.
During the meeting, it was decided to launch an effective public awareness campaign to enhance mass participation in sanitation and cleanliness arrangements across the province.
The minister noted that the introduction of double-shift cleaning at commercial areas has produced encouraging results. However, he said continuous cleaning of markets is not feasible without cooperation from traders. “For sustainable cleanliness, traders must work closely with the Suthra Punjab Authority,” he said, warning that fines would be imposed on those who dump garbage after waste has been collected at designated times.
Zeeshan Rafique stressed that maintaining cleanliness in residential areas and markets ultimately benefits local communities. He informed the meeting that Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has approved the Waste-to-Energy Project in Lahore. He added that, on the chief minister’s directives, a biogas pilot project is also being incorporated into the Model Village Programme.
The minister said the installation of biogas plants would provide low-cost local gas for domestic use while also producing bio-fertilizers for agriculture. He added that the Waste-to-Energy Project would supply affordable electricity to electric and metro buses, noting that local governments and energy departments are jointly working on the initiative.
Investment opportunities related to the waste-to-value phase were also reviewed during the meeting, with an emphasis on attracting private-sector participation to ensure the sustainability and success of the projects.