Suthra Punjab Program Launched

Provincial Local Government Minister Zeeshan Rafiq officially launched the Suthra Punjab Programme on Tuesday.

Speaking at the launch ceremony, the minister described the initiative as a historic milestone. He highlighted that Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz prioritized cleanliness across Punjab as the cabinet’s first directive. “It was a challenging task since there was no structured system for maintaining cleanliness in cities and villages,” he stated.

Acknowledging the efforts of the secretary of Local Government, waste management company CEOs, commissioners, and deputy commissioners, the minister explained that Punjab produces 60,000 tons of waste daily, much of which remains uncollected due to inadequate machinery and resources.

In the program’s first phase, 110 out of Punjab’s 149 tehsils have been outsourced for waste management, introducing house-to-house garbage collection and de-silting operations. Lahore Waste Management Company (LWMC) will also undergo restructuring, and each tehsil will have at least one safe dumping site.

The minister announced plans to generate energy from waste in the next phase. The program has already created 88,000 jobs, with more opportunities on the way. Additionally, 25,000 vehicles and pieces of machinery have been procured for the initiative.

He emphasized that Suthra Punjab will be a sustainable and technologically advanced model, with artificial intelligence-driven monitoring and control rooms at the tehsil, district, and division levels. Citizens will have access to a mobile app to file complaints, with a penalty system in place for unresolved issues, ensuring transparency and accountability.

Urging public cooperation, the minister called on citizens to support this community-focused initiative to transform Punjab’s cleanliness landscape.