'Suthra Punjab' faces execution hurdles

Express Tribune

2 days ago

The provincial government's Suthra Punjab Programme, aimed to deliver standard sanitation services in rural areas like cities, is encountering operational difficulties.
Despite the allocation of Rs150 billion in addition to the existing sanitation budget, issues including flawed planning, limited resources, poor coordination, loopholes in contracts, and inexperience are being cited as barriers to the success of the scheme.
The plan included setting up waste management companies in the divisional headquarters -- Lahore, Gujranwala, Bahawalpur, Dera Ghazi Khan, Faisalabad, Sargodha, Sahiwal, and Rawalpindi, as well as in Sialkot. These companies outsourced waste collection and disposal to private contractors.
Prior to this, sanitation resources and machinery were allocated on the basis of population data from the 2017 census and 2023 estimates, but field reports indicate that sanitation resources are currently over 50 per cent short of the required levels, a gap that has now become evident.
According to sources in the relevant departments, lack of coordination between waste management companies and district administrations has led to initial inefficiencies. Many contractors and employees have received little to no capacity-building training.
The sources said shortcomings had emerged in the contracts between contractors and waste management companies. Notably, highway cleaning is excluded from service agreements, and contractors have been tasked with cleaning only three days a week during a single time slot, leaving the roads unclean and overall cleanliness standards unmet.
Disputes have also emerged between local elected representatives and district officials, particularly in rural areas, over insufficient cleaning schedules and underwhelming results. Applying the same sanitation model to villages as used in cities has also proved problematic, given the differing environmental and infrastructural realities in rural communities, such as open drains, livestock in the streets, and unpaved roads.
The door-to-door waste collection drive remains less than 50% implemented. Even in areas where authorities claim full implementation, residents complain about cleanliness and waste management.
Local officials cite lack of resources, while insiders point to lack of motivation among waste management officers and staff, coupled with an ineffective monitoring system.
Tax collection for waste disposal services was scheduled to begin from July 1, but none of the goals has been fully realized so far.
Contractors involved in the project say they are working within the scope of the current agreements. They argue that if the responsibilities are being expanded, the budget should be increased accordingly, noting that such adjustments should have been considered during the planning phase.
Citizens also voiced their concerns. A resident of Lahore, Mohammad Irfan, criticised the inefficiencies in city waste collection, calling the proposed waste tax "an unjust burden on an already financially strained public".
In response, Lahore Waste Management Company (LWMC) CEO Sahab Din Babar defended the programme, stating that the scheme was progressing successfully. "
For the first time in Pakistan's history, rural areas are receiving proper cleaning services. While challenges exist, they are being addressed promptly," he added.
He said over 70% of the province is currently benefiting from the programme, and the remaining 30% will soon see improvements without any rise in costs.
Speaking to the media, Local Government Secretary Shakeel Ahmed Mian said that for the first time, rural areas across Punjab were set to receive the same standard of sanitation services as urban centres. "This is the province's first such project. While certain issues have emerged, they will be addressed accordingly," he said.
Mian explained that, in addition to weekly cleaning schedules in villages, daily cleaning is being introduced in local markets. He confirmed that contractors had been directed to ensure regular cleaning of major roads and highways as part of the expanded initiative. The door-to-door waste collection system under the Suthra Punjab Programme would be completed soon.
He acknowledged that some challenges had emerged during the implementation phase but asserted that the issues would be resolved and the project would ultimately prove successful.