LAHORE: Punjab Local Government Minister Zeeshan Rafiq has said that under the new sanitation model, 100 percent door-to-door waste collection will be ensured.
He expressed these views while chairing a meeting held on Monday to review progress on Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif’s Suthra Punjab programme and the new sanitation model for Lahore.
Punjab Local Government Secretary Shakeel Ahmed Mian and Additional Secretary Maria Tariq were also present while Lahore Waste Management Company (LWMC) CEO Babar Sahib Din gave a briefing on various aspects of the new model.
While addressing the meeting, the Minister said that currently, Lahore has a population of 13 million and the city generates 5500 tons of garbage every day, adding that making Punjab a zero-waste province was a priority of the Chief Minister.
He directed to bring the city under the scope of the new model and expressed his determination that the rural areas of the Lahore district will also be included.
“New machinery and manpower required to make this model effective should also be estimated. Along with receiving garbage from houses, sweeping would be done three times a week in each area,” he said.
He asked the LWMC CEO to review the segregation of recyclables from garbage; in particular, the challenges of cleaning in commercial areas should be taken into account since garbage could accumulate again at any time in commercial areas, adding that there were 300 big and 200 small commercial markets in Lahore.
He also said that bio-energy could be produced from the cattle waste produced in Gawala colonies. He directed the officials concerned to contact bio-energy-related companies and submit a report.
He emphasized that private housing societies should also be brought under the purview of LWMC and if necessary, amendments in the rules and regulations should also be suggested for the same.
During the meeting, a presentation was presented on the cleaning needs of different towns of Lahore. The local government secretary said that all possible resources would be provided to achieve the goals of city cleanliness.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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