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LAHORE, Jul 23 (APP):Punjab Minister for Local Government and Community Development (LG&CD) Zeeshan Rafique has said that Suthra Punjab is not just a program limited to cleanliness but safe dumping and recycling of waste is a part of the program.
He made these remarks while chairing a meeting at the Civil Secretariat to review various eco-friendly waste recycling initiatives under Suthra Punjab, here on Wednesday.
Secretary Local Government Shakeel Ahmed Mian, Additional Secretary Ahmer Kaifi, and CEO of Lahore Waste Management Company (LWMC) Babar Sahib Din were present at the meeting.
The minister said that Pakistan will actively seek carbon credits under the Paris Agreement through responsible waste disposal practices. He said the government is committed to converting environmental challenges into economic opportunities through the “Waste-to-Value” project.
LG&CD Minister Zeeshan Rafique announced that, with the approval of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, Punjab is set to establish the country’s first Recycling Park at Lakhodair, a suburb of Lahore. “The Lakhodair facility alone is expected to generate annual revenue of Rs 1 billion through carbon credits,” he stated. “A project to generate energy from sacrificial offal is also under consideration, with estimates suggesting up to 1,000 tons of energy could be produced from waste.”
The minister further revealed that both domestic and international investors will be invited to participate in the initiative through a series of planned roadshows. “We have already received offers to produce biogas and eco-friendly construction bricks from waste,” he said, adding that similar waste utilization models will later be extended to other cities of Punjab.
The Punjab government has directed the LWMC to finalize and submit a comprehensive plan for the proposed roadshows so that subsequent actions can be taken accordingly.