Prepare a green policy to transform municipal waste into energy and usable products
The Punjab government is preparing a major policy initiative to convert waste into energy and commercially usable products under its expanding ‘Suthra Punjab’ initiative, with officials considering incentives and land leases for private sector green investment projects across the province.
Under the proposed framework, government land could be leased to private companies for waste-to-energy, biogas and recycling projects aimed at reducing environmental pollution while generating renewable energy and revenue from municipal waste.
Officials say the policy was developed to modernize Punjab’s waste management system and move away from traditional “collect and dump” practices that have long contributed to landfill overflows, methane emissions and urban pollution.
Government sources said rules and conditions for leasing public land for environmentally sustainable projects were being finalized, while detailed regulatory guidelines were also being prepared.
The move comes as the provincial government accelerated work on the “Waste Recovery” phase of the Suthra Punjab program launched under Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz.
Punjab Local Government Minister Zeeshan Rafique recently said the project represents a crucial step towards converting thousands of tonnes of collected waste into energy and reusable products using modern technology.
Speaking at a recent project review meeting, the minister confirmed that a pilot bio-CNG plant at Lakhodair landfill in Lahore has already started production. “Initially, 85 kilograms of CNG were produced daily from waste, but the methane concentration target was going to be further increased,” he said.
Officials described the project as a self-sustaining circular economy model designed to reduce waste while generating renewable energy and economic returns.
The provincial government’s latest plans build on several pilot projects launched over the past year in Lahore and other urban centers.
Environmental experts say the rapid growth of Punjab’s urban population and increasing waste generation have made sustainable waste management reforms increasingly urgent.
For now, officials said work on the regulatory framework and investment structure continues, while more pilot projects and public-private partnerships are expected to be announced in the coming months as Punjab strives to position itself as a leader in climate-focused urban development and green infrastructure.
