- Advertisement -
PESHAWAR, May 19 (APP): Cherat Cement Factory, operated by the renowned Ghulam Farooq Group, has shown interest to use municipal solid waste collected from Peshawar city as alternative fuel and submitted a proposal in this regard.
`The proposal, presented under a public-private partnership framework, was formally submitted to the Water and Sanitation Services Peshawar (WSSP).
A high-level meeting on the subject was chaired by Abdul Karim Tordher, Special Assistant to the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Industries here on Monday.
Besides, officials from Cherat Cement, WSSP, the provincial departments of industries and local government, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Board of Investment and Trade (KPBOIT) and other relevant institutions also attended the meeting.
During the meeting, Cherat Cement officials discussed their earlier proposal to WSSP and emphasized the potential benefits of its implementation.
Cherat Cement representatives stated that approximately 500 tons of waste is collected daily from Peshawar and currently dumped at the Shamshatoo site, which holds an estimated 1.6 million tons of accumulated waste.
The factory has proposed using this waste as Refused Derived Fuel (RDF), replacing coal in its cement production process. This initiative could generate significant revenue for WSSP while also addressing solid waste management challenges.
The representatives of WSSP briefed the Special Assistant and other attendees on the proposal and stated that its implementation under a public-private partnership model is feasible. However, since the PPP Cell under the Planning & Development Department holds the official mandate, a WSSP Board meeting has been convened for May 20 to review previous board decisions and forward the proposal for further action by the P&D Department.
On this occasion, the Special Assistant Abdul Karim Tordher directed all stakeholders to expedite the process to fast-track the project’s subsequent phases.
He noted that the initiative not only represents a significant step towards environmental sustainability but also promises considerable financial benefits for government institutions.
He further emphasized that the successful execution of the project could serve as a model for modifying elsewhere, leveraging Cherat Cement’s technical expertise and available machinery.
He urged all departments involved to fulfill their respective responsibilities in a timely and efficient manner.