- Attends Circular Economy ceremony under Pak-Turkiye Partnership for Sustainability
LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Thursday met the First Lady of Turkiye, H.E Emine Erdogan, in Islamabad. The Chief Minister warmly welcomed the First Lady of Turkiye and thanked her for visiting Pakistan.
The Punjab CM attended the Circular Economy ceremony under the Pakistan-Turkiye Partnership for Sustainability. She inspected various stalls along with the distinguished guest Emine Erdogan and expressed deep interest in the stalls.
The CM while addressing the Circular Economy ceremony under Pakistan-Turkiye Partnership for Sustainability said, “The Suthra Punjab Program is a very important and revolutionary project. Suthra Punjab is not just a policy, but a commitment, a vision that has been formulated to improve the future of Punjab. As soon as I took an oath of the office as a Chief Minister, I vowed to make every city and village of the province clean in accordance with the international standards.”
She added, “We feel amazed to witness beauty and cleanliness of the developed cities of the world, the citizens of Pakistan and Punjab also deserve the same standard. The Suthra Punjab program has been determined to bring about a historic change in sanitation and effective waste management along with environmental protection. A new industry is being created under Suthra Punjab Program, which will create more than one lakh job opportunities. The Suthra Punjab program will not only increase employment but will also strengthen the local economy of Punjab. Billions of rupees have been signed under the Clean Punjab project, Investment and economic development are being promoted.”
CM Maryam said, “Rs120 billion has been allocated for the Suthra Punjab program and investment in Suthra Punjab program will provide long-term environmental and economic benefits. Public-private partnership has been launched, local industries and business community will play a key role in Punjab’s sanitation system. Public-private partnership will bring more innovation, effectiveness and sustainability to the sanitation sector. Punjab generates 57,000 tonnes of waste daily, which was a mounting challenge, we are successfully confronting it with the latest technology. In Lahore, we have introduced the world’s largest door-to-door waste collection mechanism. We are determined to extend the facility of door-to-door waste collection mechanism to all urban areas of Punjab.”
She said, “To improve the cleaning process in rural areas, we have introduced eco-friendly loader rickshaws and other small machinery units. More than 3,000 waste collection rickshaws have been deployed in Lahore so that the cleaning process can be made more organized. Digital monitoring and transparency play a key role in the success of any project. Digital monitoring system, central control rooms, digital attendance system, and grievance redressal portals have been established. Complete transparency and timely monitoring have been ensured in the cleaning process. We are not just collecting garbage, but introducing smart waste management as well. Smart waste management is promoting sustainability, circular economy and green industry.”
She added, “For the first time, two modern landfill sites and two material recovery facilities are being constructed in Punjab. Landfill sites and two material recovery facilities can effectively recycle waste and promote the recycling industry. After achieving the target of zero waste in Punjab, we will launch waste-to-energy projects with the support of international partners. By promoting a sustainable sanitation system, we are making significant improvements in air pollution, environmental pollution, and disease prevention. Turkiye’s waste management model has helped us immensely in formulating this Suthra Punjab program.”
The Punjab CM said, “I am grateful to H.E Emine Erdogan who introduced us to international best practices for sanitation. I also express my gratitude to Turkey’s waste management model, we have adopted a modern, effective and sustainable sanitation system in Punjab. The Suthra Punjab Program is not just a project to clean roads, it is a mission to protect health, economic stability and build a modern Punjab.”
She added, “Clean cities attract more investment, promote tourism. I welcome all international partners, experts and investors in Punjab. We are committed to the best experiences of the world, the latest cleaning methods along with making Punjab a global model of cleanliness and development. We will make Punjab one of the cleanest, greenest and most developed regions of the world.”
