Forbes has put Punjab on the global map by recognising the Suthra Punjab initiative as one of the world’s largest and most advanced digitised waste management systems. For a province long plagued by overflowing bins, choked drains, and open dumping, this recognition is not just symbolic — it reflects a real shift from crisis to climate success story.
Unified, digital waste collection and cleaning service
Launched and rolled out across the province in just eight months, Suthra Punjab now provides a unified, digital waste collection and cleaning service to nearly 130 million people. Every day, the system handles around 50,000 tons of garbage, reaching not just big cities like
- Lahore
- Faisalabad
- Multan
but also small towns and remote villages that were previously neglected.
At the heart of the initiative is a single provincial authority built around the Lahore Waste Management Company (LWMC), which now anchors waste services across Punjab. Instead of fragmented local systems, Punjab has moved to one integrated model that treats cleanliness as a basic public right.
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Forbes noted that what makes Suthra Punjab stand out is its bold approach: no slow, small pilot projects — instead, the province went directly for province-wide implementation. LWMC CEO Babar Sahib Din explained that the programme works because it combines strong political backing, strict monitoring, and fully digitised operations.
Everyday operations are closely tracked
• Trucks, bins, staff, and routes are monitored in real time through digital dashboards.
• Contractor payments are directly tied to performance data, reducing space for manipulation, fake records, or “ghost” payments.
The financing model is also innovative. It blends:
• Public sector funding
• User fees
• Revenue from waste-to-energy projects and carbon credits
Punjab has already started developing large waste-to-energy plants, including a 25MW facility in Lahore that will supply power to the national grid. This means the trash that once polluted streets is now being turned into electricity and economic value.
Thousands of green jobs created
The initiative has reportedly created over thousands of green jobs, from street sweepers to drivers, data operators, and plant workers. Open dumping and informal landfills have been reduced, drains are being cleaned more regularly, and neighbourhoods in many cities are visibly cleaner. Officials keep on estimating that nearly two million tonnes of CO₂-equivalent emissions could be cut annually as waste-to-value projects scale up.
Suthra Punjab was also showcased at COP30 in Brazil as a world-leading example of integrated climate and waste management. Cities from Jakarta to Nairobi are studying the model to see how a developing region managed such a rapid transformation.
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PM Shehbaz called progress “truly transformative”
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called the progress “truly transformative,” praising Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and her team for their focused efforts. The provincial government keep on saying that the next phase will further expand
- Recycling
- Composting
- Energy generation
This has turned more of Punjab’s waste into opportunity — and moving towards a cleaner, greener, and more dignified future for its people.