Over Rs5b set aside for landfill sites

Project includes recycling technologies, landfill improvements

JARANWALA:

The Punjab government has allocated over Rs5 billion for the construction of landfill sites and material recovery facilities in Faisalabad and Gujranwala.

These projects will be developed on a design, build, and operate (DBO) basis with the participation of both national and international bidding firms.

Sources said private firms will be pre-qualified and monitored by the Punjab Municipal Development Fund Company (PMDFC), with project execution managed by the Faisalabad Waste Management Company (FWMC) and Gujranwala Waste Management Company (GWMC).

PMDFC Managing Director Sayyid Zahid Aziz stated that the government has reserved and transferred state land for the prompt setup of these facilities.

The allocation breakdown includes Rs4,508.965 million for Faisalabad and Rs504.572 million for Gujranwala.

The scope of the material recovery facilities will cover waste sorting, material recovery conveyors, magnetic separation, bag breakers, shredders, baling machines, reject collection systems and administrative data management.

Administrative approval was granted on October 9, 2024, and a pre-qualification notice for firm selection will be posted on the Punjab Procurement Regulatory Authority's website on November 19, 2024.

The landfill project will include civil works such as landfill cells, leachate and gas collection systems, and cover systems.

The Provincial Development Working Party (PDWP) has mandated that an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report and a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the Environment Protection Department be secured within a month.

Four local and two international firms, based in Turkey and the UAE, have expressed interest in the pre-qualification process.

Adnan Nisar, General Manager of PMDFC, highlighted the modern approach to landfill sites and material recovery facilities, aligning with the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

He noted that SDG 6, focusing on sanitation and climate change, underscores the importance of advanced waste management systems and budget allocations.

Nisar also referenced previous landfill sites established in Lahore under the Lahore Waste Management Company.

Sayyid Zahid Aziz praised Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif for prioritising scientific waste disposal methods as part of smog mitigation efforts.

He emphasised that such initiatives are crucial for long-term environmental health and form a key part of the Punjab government's agenda.