Ahmed Khan Malik

The Sindh government has initiated strategic projects to enhance municipal solid waste management, aiming to improve environmental sustainability and public health across the province as well as to generate more energy.

One of the projects is Solid Waste Emergency and Efficiency Project (SWEEP), which is funded by international financial institutions to develop advanced waste management infrastructure in Karachi. “The project focuses on constructing garbage transfer stations and engineered landfill sites to ensure compliance with environmental standards and reduce the city's carbon footprint,” Naveed Siddiqui, Director of Sindh Energy Department, told WealthPK.

“To address the issue of growing waste generation, the Sindh government has also partnered with private firms to convert municipal solid waste into clean energy,” he said. He added that a 50MW waste-to-energy project with an estimated investment of $150 million would be executed to process approximately 1,500 tonnes of waste daily.

He said that the government had allocated land near Karachi's landfill sites for this project. Siddiqui said the Sindh Solid Waste Management Board (SSWMB) is responsible for managing municipal solid waste across the province. “The board is committed to reducing environmental impact, promoting recycling, and improving waste collection and disposal systems.”

He said the Sindh energy and local government departments had collaborated for the project that would prove to be a milestone in the proper disposal of municipal waste generated in the city as well as to produce energy. “The project had been launched in accordance with the Sindh government’s slogan, ‘Green Energy, Clean Karachi’,” he said.

He said that energy companies belonging to various countries would use the latest technology for consuming garbage produced in the city in a scientific manner for the production of renewable energy. Talking about the municipal waste management, Siddiqui said that with the assistance of the Asian Development Bank, the Sindh government has also initiated the Sindh Cities Improvement Programme (SCIP) to enhance municipal services in major urban centres.

“The programme focuses on improving water supply, sanitation, and solid waste management infrastructure in over 20 secondary cities, benefiting more than six million residents. These initiatives reflect the Sindh government's commitment to modernising waste management systems, promoting environmental sustainability, and enhancing the quality of life for its residents,” he said.

Credit: INP-WealthPk