Suthra Punjab initiative has revolutionised sanitation work: minister

LAHORE: Punjab Local Government Minister Zeeshan Rafique on Saturday said that the Suthra Punjab initiative has revolutionised the province’s sanitation network by extending waste management to rural areas for the first time in history.

Presiding over a meeting of the Suthra Punjab Authority, the Minister revealed that the programme’s digital framework now monitors 180,000 sanitation workers and 40,000 vehicles state wide while entering its second phase of converting waste into economic value. He also highlighted that the newly instituted district-level agency model, replacing the former company structure, has successfully bridged the urban-rural sanitation divide across the province.

Punjab Local Government Secretary Zaid Bin Maqsood, Suthra Punjab Authority Director General Umar Javed, Technical Members Chaudhry Jaffar Iqbal, Ali Tariq, Saira Iftikhar and Muzaffar Islam attended the meeting while Divisional Commissioners participated via video link. He said that the waste collected under the Suthra Punjab system was being utilised productively. “The second phase of Waste to Value has been launched, and a clear direction has been set.”

Rafique further said that Suthra Punjab was the flagship project of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and had transformed the province’s sanitation system. “Due to the Chief Minister’s vision and political will, an integrated sanitation network has now been established across the province,” he added, adding that the Suthra Punjab initiative was being appreciated at both the national and international levels.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026