Tackling Lahore’s garbage crisis

The city has only one sanitary landfill site where 6,000 tons of garbage is dumped every day

LAHORE: Lahore might be rightfully dubbed the ‘heart of Pakistan’ – thanks to its rich history, lively culture and its warm and friendly people, but when it comes to cleanliness, the situation of the city is dismal, to say the least.

Heaps of undisposed garbage could be seen accumulated on thoroughfares and lanes in various parts of the city which, apart from being unsightly, also give off a terrible stench. To add fuel to the fire, the city has only one sanitary landfill site -- the Lakhodair landfill -- where the accumulation of waste has led to the contamination of underground water, thus putting the health of citizens at risk.

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According to official statistics, about 6,000 tons of garbage is accumulated in the city daily. To resolve the city’s growing garbage crisis, the Urban Unit, with the collaboration of the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), has recently carried out research and have made several recommendations to tackle the problem.

Per the suggestions of the research, which was carried out at the directives of the Chief Minister of Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar, there should be increased forestation at the landfill site, together with proper waste disposal mechanisms in place.

In order to stop the accumulation of heaps of waste in a single landfill, the research has also recommended the immediate activation of new dumping sites in Sundar and Kasur, where new waste recycling plants should be installed to treat solid waste. Moreover, drones will be used to capture aerial photos or videos.

According to the sources, the Urban Unit has recommended dividing the city into six zones to improve the waste disposal system of the city. Talking to  The Express Tribune, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Urban Unit Khalid Sherdil said that, at the direction of government, the authority has carried out research to improve the solid waste management system of Lahore.

“We have not only recommended the activation of a new dumping site but also the establishment of plants for recycling of trash. Besides, within four to five years, we will grow as many trees at the site as possible and turn it into a golf course in the next 10 to 15 years, if needed,” he said.

The research team has also rejected the proposal of acquiring more space at the Lakhodair landfill as expansion will only worsen the problem.

Sources have revealed that the solid waste management company, established during the tenure of the previous government, has proved to be a “white elephant” for the incumbent Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government because of its controversial decisions, unsatisfactory performance and cost-intensive strategy. Yet, the current Punjab government took no steps to tackle the situation or look for an alternative system to keep the city clean.

The Lakhodair dumping site was activated in 2016 upon the closure of the Mahmud Booti landfill.

At present, construction work is in progress near the site to construct the country’s first state-of-the-art e-Auction Agriculture Market, for which a 1046-canal land has been acquired by the government.

Regarding the contamination of underground water at Lakhodair, the official spokesperson of the Lahore Solid Waste Management System, Jamil Khawar said that at present, more than 5,500 tons of trash is collected from Lahore every day, 90 per cent of which is dumped at Lakhodair.

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Per sources, the former provincial senior minister for local government Abdul Aleem Khan had intensively worked to make the city as clean as possible and also consulted local and foreign experts concerning that.

Aleem Khan was also actively involved in setting up recycling plant but after his arrest by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and his subsequent resignation, all proceedings were halted. The incumbent CM Punjab has been unable to take decisive action even after various meetings with the Lahore Solid Waste Management Company.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 26^th, 2019.