LAHORE: Punjab Local Government Minister Zeeshan Rafiq has said that sanitation challenges could be tackled through outsourcing the sanitation system. After studying the successful systems of the world, they were bringing a pilot project in Punjab.

He expressed these views during a meeting with the CEOs of waste management companies through a video link here on Thursday. On this occasion, the plan for an efficient and sustainable sanitation system in Punjab was reviewed; Punjab Local Government Secretary Shakeel Ahmad Mian and Additional Secretary Maria Tariq also attended the meeting.

While addressing the meeting, the Minister said that it was the vision of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif to implement a uniform sanitation system throughout Punjab. “A large proportion of the population resides in rural areas, so it was not possible to achieve sanitation targets by neglecting villages. Along with urban areas, villages are being brought under the purview of the sanitation system for the first time. This is a big challenge, but this project would bring convenience to the people,” he added.

He further said that the participation of the public was the most important in the success of the model project. “Safer waste dumping was a bigger challenge than garbage collection. There was a need for waste management companies to conduct special campaigns to increase public awareness. The successful cleaning operation on Eid-ul-Azha proved that no task was impossible. By using the same spirit, Punjab should be made a clean province and Pakistan a clean country,” he said.

On this occasion, The Minister directed the CEOs to complete the process of outsourcing according to the time frame and the goals set by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif should be achieved accordingly.

While addressing the participants, the Secretary said that all CEOs should upload updates on the dashboard regularly and SOPs for monitoring outsourcing should also be finalized soon.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024