Alternative source

Waste-to-energy is an alternate process of generating energy. Our country produces 20.24 million tonnes waste per year which is approximately 59,000 tonnes per day. It is predicted that this amount is likely to be doubled in the next 10 years. According to the Sindh Solid Waste Management Board, 16,000 tonnes of waste is produced in Karachi alone. The mega city is already covered in piles of garbage, while the amount is set to double by 2020 because of the high population growth. However, this challenge can be turned into an opportunity if the government takes initiatives to turn waste into energy. Other countries like Austria and Sweden are far ahead of Pakistan in this matter. Austria imports Italian household trash and converts it into energy, which powers 170,000 houses around Austria. In 2016, the country converted 70,000 tonnes waste into energy. On the other hand, Sweden recycles almost 100 percent of their household waste. The first recycling plant in Sweden was established in 1904 and today the country has 32 plants, while Pakistan established its first plant in 1990.

Pakistan’s Green Earth Recycling Plant is insufficient to turn waste into energy. It has the ability to turn only 300 tonnes of waste into energy. The country must establish high-tech waste to energy plants. This will not only boost up the economy, but will also generate jobs, alleviate pollution, reduce imports and conserve our natural resources. The local municipal departments should keep dustbins at an appropriate distance so that citizens can throw household garbage in the dustbins. This will facilitate the concerned authorities in collecting the garbage at once and will also keep the environment clean. The government should also establish more recycling plants so that more energy can be generated. This will help the government overcome the energy crisis.

Kiran Shahid

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