LAHORE:
Absence of scientific waste treatment and disposal mechanisms is contributing to groundwater contamination, air pollution and public health risks amid efforts to maintain a sanitation service across the province under the Suthra Punjab Programme.
The province, home to approximately 135 million people, generates nearly 50,000 tonnes of municipal solid waste daily. The per capita waste generation stands at about 450 grams per day in urban and 320 grams in rural areas.
Despite allocating around Rs150 billion annually for waste collection and disposal, critics argue that the province lacks an integrated system for waste treatment and secure landfill management.
According to estimates, waste in as many as 147 tehsils is being dumped in open areas without proper environmental safeguards.
This practice is contaminating underground water reserves and increasing the emission of greenhouse gases. Estimates suggest that 13 to 16 million tonnes of carbon dioxide-equivalent gases are released annually from waste sites, contributing to deteriorating air quality in major cities, including Lahore, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Multan and Faisalabad, which are increasingly being identified as global pollution hotspots.
Data indicates that around 55 per cent of municipal solid waste consists of organic kitchen waste, 14% plastic and 12% diaper waste. Experts note that the high moisture content – exceeding 60% – and low calorific value make the waste unsuitable for conventional incineration or large-scale waste-to-energy projects without prior segregation and treatment.
The Punjab government has outsourced waste collection services and introduced machinery, including rickshaws, trolleys and compactor vehicles, to improve efficiency. Officials of waste management authorities claim that collection efficiency has improved to about 80% following the expansion of resources, including equipment.
Lahore’s Lakhodair dumping site, one of the province’s largest waste disposal points, has yet to be fully upgraded according to modern sanitary landfill standards.
Responding to the concerns, Punjab Local Governments Minister Mian Zeeshan Rafique said the second phase of the programme was progressing at full pace under a “waste-to-value” model.
He stated that landfill sites had been established across all tehsils and projects were being initiated to generate biogas and alternative energy from waste.
He added that after the modernisation of the Mahmood Booti site, Lakhodair would also be upgraded and utilised for carbon credit generation, aiming to achieve both environmental sustainability and economic gains.
