Water policy to help meet future needs: minister

LAHORE

Provincial Minister for Irrigation and PIDA Chairman Amanat Ullah Shadikhel has said that a comprehensive water policy is being designed by the Irrigation Department to fulfil the water needs of the farmers and to cater to the rising water needs of the future.

Presiding over a departmental meeting which held to review the draft of the water policy at irrigation secretariat on Wednesday, he said the policy would also be aimed to help secure canal and underground water along with its efficient use by different consumers.

Provincial Irrigation Minister Amanat Ullah said that enhanced agricultural productivity was required to meet the rising food needs of the country. He said there was a need to promote efficient use of water and people should also be fully sensitised about it; along with formulating laws for its effective implementation.

The minister said that all the stakeholders should lend support and guidance in formulating a unified and comprehensive water policy which would fully help save water from wastage. Irrigation Secretary Asad Ullah Khan also spoke on the occasion

LWMC: World Renowned Waste to Energy (WTE) Firm in collaboration with Lahore Waste Management Company (LWMC) will set up a WTE plant at first ever modern sanitary landfill site of the country in Lahore. Aim of this project is to generate energy from Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) of provincial metropolitan, said LWMC Managing Director Bilal Mustafa Syed while addressing a press conference here on Wednesday.

He said the proposed plant would be of 40mw capacity and would bring into use around 2,000 tons of MSW. “An international firm will set up and operate this plant as Independent Power Producer (IPP), whereas LWMC will be responsible for provision of waste. Agreement for supply of MSW will formally be signed between LWMC and international firm,” he revealed. 

He added that WTE project of LWMC includes planning to generate bio-gas by using animal waste particularly cow dung in areas having animals in abundance. In this regard, plant having capacity of generating 19,000 cubic meters bio-gas using 300 ton cow dung has planned to be installed in the Rakh Chandrai area of the city. Gas generated from this plant will be converted into fuel and will be made available in the market for purchase.

Moreover, LWMC has been given responsibility to manage medical waste of all 17 major hospitals in the city. LWMC is working with Specialised Healthcare Department of the Punjab government to devise a comprehensive and state-of-the-art system of collection and transportation of medical waste so that illegal business of medical waste could be reduced. 

The LWMC MD claimed that the new waste collection system would be based on information technology and initially incinerator installed at Children's Hospital, Lahore having capacity from 2 to 2.5 ton will be made functional and medical waste of top four hospitals will be processed there.