LAHORE - Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has said that the government is determined to make Lahore as clean as Istanbul and successfully operating modern sanitary system through the Turkish companies Albayrak and OZpak on the pattern of Turkey is a step to that end.
Speaking at a meeting held to review the new solid waste management system on Friday, the chief minister directed the department concerned eviction of the cattle from the city limits otherwise stern action would be taken against the officials who neglected their duties in this regard.
He said this system would soon be introduced in five major cities of the province including Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Multan, Gujranwala and Sialkot.
The CM also directed the minister for local government for preparing within a week action plan for removing encroachments throughout the province.
He said that transformation of Lahore into a neat and clean city like Istanbul is the dream of the government which would be realised at any cost.
“The sanitary system is being monitored effectively and its third party evolution is also being conducted,” he held. He said that elected representatives and the authorities responsible for the implementation of new solid waste management system should hold meetings on monthly basis to review its pace of progress.
He said that for the first time in the country’s history, a proper landfill site is being developed in the provincial metropolis while work is also being carried out on the project of generation of electricity from solid waste.
Shahbaz Sharif said that encroachments were not only creating problems for the citizens but also hampering implementation of the modern system of cleanliness. He said that the government is also working on the project of setting up of a theme park of international standard in Lahore. He directed that a plan be made for the utilisation of the land presently being used as landfill site at Mehmood Booti.
Representatives of Turk companies briefed the meeting on the modern system of sanitation being used to clean roads of the city daily and other measures adopted to keep the city clean.
They said that Albayrak has removed garbage from 244 plots during last 20 days while OZpak has cleared 201 plots. Moreover, OZpak Company has also set up its transfer station in Valencia Town from where solid waste brought in small vehicles is shifted to landfill sites through big vehicles.
The Lahore Solid Waste Management Company managing director during a briefing informed that new solid waste management system is being completely monitored.