‘Govt’s new waste management model clicks on Eid’

LAHORE:The festive occasion of Eid ul Azha marked the first major public sanitation campaign of the ongoing year following Punjab govt’s strategic outsourcing of waste management operations across the province.

According to a press release issued on Monday, the occasion served as an important test for the new operational model and its capacity to deliver large-scale, citizen-focused services. The results have been both encouraging and promising. The leading private contractor has been at work in 22 tehsils in Punjab which include diverse locations like Mandi Bahauddin, Lodhran, Jhang, Muzaffargarh and even far-flung areas like Karor Lal and Kot Chutta.

The private contractors are working in collaboration with the local companies like DG Khan Waste Management Company (DWMC), Gujranwala Waste Management Company (GWMC), Multan Waste Management Company (MWMC), and Faisalabad Waste Management Company (FWMC).

From pre-Eid preparations to swift post-Eid clean-up, operations were carried out systematically across all districts to ensure that cities and towns remained clean, safe, and hygienic throughout the festive period. This province-wide effort stands as one of Punjab’s most extensive Eid sanitation drives to date. District-level waste management companies, working alongside local authorities and contractors, delivered notable results across key cities and towns.

In Dera Ghazi Khan, 16,198 tons of waste were collected and 375,473 waste bags were distributed among citizens. The local teams successfully resolved 90 percent of registered complaints, ensuring timely response to public needs. In Faisalabad, 37,768 tons of waste were removed from across the district. More than two million waste bags were distributed to the public, facilitating safe disposal of animal waste. The field teams maintained an excellent record of complaint resolution.

Multan reported the collection of 30,970 tons of waste. Nearly 1.85 million waste bags were distributed, with strong public cooperation throughout the operation. The teams addressed and resolved a large number of citizen complaints during the campaign. In Gujranwala, 23,085 tons of waste were cleared, and 590,000 waste bags were distributed to support community-level waste management. Local teams worked actively to resolve citizen complaints and ensured smooth execution of field operations.

Across all districts, the operation included the setup of thousands of urban camps at UC level to distribute waste bags and provide information to the public. Significant quantities of lime, phenyl, and rosewater were applied at Qurban gahs, congregation points, waste sites, and public areas to maintain hygienic conditions. The campaign mobilised large field forces supported by additional vehicles and equipment to deliver an effective and citizen-focused operation.