‘World class technology to be introduced for proper dumping’

LAHORE: Punjab Minister for Local Government Zeeshan Rafique has said that the Chief Minister’s ‘Suthra Punjab Programme’ will be carried forward in a phased manner.

After outsourcing the sanitation system of both villages and cities the next step will be taken to make the solid waste usable. The Punjab government is going to introduce a model of recycling the bulk of waste by ensuring its segregation.

Addressing a press conference regarding ‘Suthra Punjab Programme’ at DGPR, here Sunday. He said that the CM announced the biggest cleaning programme in the history of the province soon after taking oath of her office. This programme was just a start and the first phase of a comprehensive sanitation plan’, he said.

The minister said that the programme was quite successful, but we will learn lessons from the challenges faced during the cleaning campaign and move forward. ‘Punjab’s population of more than 127 million leaves 57,500 tons of waste every day. We are able to dispose of only 18,438-ton garbage. This means that the load of 49,000-ton waste is increasing every day’, he pointed out.

Moreover, the minister resolved that with the support of political determination, media and people, we will be successful, God willing. ‘At present, 229 municipal institutions of Punjab are providing services to 19.5 million people annually, while eight waste management companies are reaching out to about 26 million people. Time has come for all stakeholders to step forward to make Punjab a clean province and Pakistan a beautiful country’, he said.

While pointing out that municipal services fees are charged worldwide, he stressed that outsourcing cleaning services would help in achieving cleaning goals. He said that more than garbage collection, its safe dumping and treatment of sewerage water is the real challenge. We are going to introduce modern and world class technology for proper dumping.

The minister said that segregation of waste is necessary before dumping it and for this purpose the location of 66 transfer stations has been identified in Punjab. On a question, Zeeshan Rafique said that PMLN believed in conducting LG elections.

The Punjab government is working in this regard. During the press conference, he also extended Easter greetings to the Christian community, particularly Christian staff of the Local Government Department.