LAHORE: The Lahore Waste Management Company (LWMC) has launched the city’s first pilot project for solid waste segregation, aiming to generate revenue and reduce waste dumping pressure on the Lakhudair landfill site. The project, titled waste segregation enclosure, has been launched in four union councils Nos 81, 83, 198 and 218 and, if successful, will be expanded to other union councils of the city district in a phased manner, according to LWMC Managing Director Babar Sahib Din.
‘As the pilot project has been launched, we will observe how much waste is being segregatedand what are the things our teams find to generate revenue or liable to be dumped at the Lakhudair landfill site,’ he said at the opening of the project at UC-81.
‘Waste enclosures having separate space, bins, etc, for useful and useless waste segregation have been set up.
Waste segregation is a process through which waste is separated into different items at the level of households or commercial entities, with the goal of disposing of useless waste at the landfill site and selling the useful waste for revenue. Most waste sorting is done by humans hands, which is considered the best method to separate many things (metal, plastic, iron, glass, and other dryand wet items). There is a difference between segregation and sorting of waste. Segregation is done by grouping various items into their respective categories while sorting is performed after dumping the waste in bulk at the landfill site. Segregation ensures the finding of pure and good quality material while sorting ends up with substandard materials.
‘For the first time in Lahore, the model project for waste segregation and better utilization at the level of waste enclosures has been formally launched. Initially, this activity will be carried out in UC 81, 83, 198, and 218 as a pilot project that also aims at training the workers on waste segregation,’ said the managing director. He added that the greenwaste obtained from the enclosures will be used at the LWMC compost plant. In the new model of waste management, a lesser amount of waste will be dumped at the landfill site, which will significantly reduce environmental pollution and public health problems.
‘This project will prove to be a landmark as it is a first step towards waste management through innovative methods,’ he said, adding that the amount of waste is increasing with each passing day, which is a matter of concern.
He said the success of the waste segregation project is not possible without the cooperation of citizens. Therefore, the LWMC is running a public awareness campaign for proper waste disposal and better waste management, requesting citizens to cooperate with LWMC and start the segregation of waste on their own at their homes.
LDA: The Lahore Development Authority (LDA) has demolished several illegally built structures in Jubilee Town, New Defence Road and LDA Avenue-I housing scheme, in a major operation conducted by various LDA teams.
Furthermore, the Punjab government has posted Javed Iqbal Sheikh, a grade-20 officer of the Inland Revenue Service, as the new chairman/chairperson of the Punjab Revenue Authority, according to a notification.