LAHORE: The Punjab government has launched the Suthra Punjab Program into the next phase of waste recycling in which landfill sites considered an environmental challenge will be converted into national assets.
Under this initiative, Pakistan is expected to earn Rs 1 billion annually from the carbon credit of the Lakhodare waste dumping site located on the outskirts of the provincial capital; the carbon credit will be claimed under Article 6 of the Paris Accord. The Lakhodare site can produce 20 tons of biogas. The Punjab government also plans to build a recycling park on the outskirts of Lahore under this project.
In this connection, Punjab Local Government Minister Zeeshan Rafiq chaired a meeting on Saturday to consider various options for waste recycling. Punjab Local Government Secretary Shakeel Ahmed Mian, Additional Secretary for Development Ahmer Kaifi and others attended the meeting.
On this occasion, Lahore Waste Management Company (LWMC) CEO Babar Sahib Din briefed the meeting on various options for waste recycling.
While addressing the meeting, the Minister said that a plan to generate energy from offal is under consideration; 1000 tonnes of energy can be generated from offal in Lahore alone. He directed the concerned officials to hold a road show in Lahore or Islamabad to promote the waste-to-energy projects, saying foreign diplomats would be invited to the road show. “It will also be held abroad to attract investors,” he said, adding that the waste will be utilised in other cities after Lahore under this programme.
On this occasion, Punjab Secretary Local Government Shakeel Ahmed Mian directed the LWMC CEO to make a comprehensive presentation for the Chief Minister. He said that waste is being made usable all over the world because recycling is the solution to the environmental damage caused by waste.
Babar Sahib Din said that a 50 MW power plant project is also under consideration with the cooperation of the Punjab Energy Department. “A large amount of waste is collected in Lahore every day under the Clean Punjab, and many domestic and foreign companies have shown interest in recycling waste,” he added.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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