Forbes Highlights Punjab’s Suthra Punjab as a Global Waste Management Success Story

Punjab has earned global recognition after Forbes spotlighted the Suthra Punjab initiative as one of the world’s largest and most advanced digitised waste management systems. What was once a long-ignored crisis has now transformed into a scalable climate and development success story.

A Province-Wide Digital System Built in Just Eight Months

The most impressive part of the Suthra Punjab initiative is its pace.
In only eight months, Punjab rolled out a unified, digital waste service that today reaches nearly 130 million people. Every single day, the system manages around 50,000 tons of waste, covering both big cities and remote villages.

This transformation operates under a single provincial authority built around the Lahore Waste Management Company (LWMC). For the first time, Punjab’s waste management is organized, structured, and connected at a provincial level.

Real-Time Tracking to Ensure Efficiency and Transparency

The system is fully digitised, meaning everything is tracked in real time.
Trucks, waste bins, collection routes, and contractor activity are monitored to ensure the work is actually being done. Contractor payments are linked directly to performance data—reducing manipulation, eliminating “ghost” payments, and improving accountability.

This level of transparency is one of the main reasons the project has gained international praise.

A Sustainable Financing Model with Climate Benefits

Punjab’s waste management framework blends public funding, user fees, waste-to-energy revenue, and carbon credits.
This smart financing model supports long-term sustainability and reduces financial pressure on the government.

The province is already developing major waste-to-energy projects, including a 25MW plant in Lahore that will supply electricity to the national grid. These projects not only reduce landfill waste but also generate clean energy.

Creating Green Jobs and Reducing Emissions

The Suthra Punjab initiative has created over 100,000 green jobs, giving thousands of families stable incomes.
It has also significantly reduced open dumping, sewage blockages, and informal landfills—problems that had plagued Punjab for decades.

Officials estimate that the waste-to-value projects will cut nearly two million tonnes of CO₂-equivalent emissions annually, making Punjab a leader in climate resilience.

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