Waste dump to turn into green energy hub
The Lahore Waste Management Company's (LWMC) ambitious project to convert the Mehmood Booti landfill into a solar park and urban forest is progressing rapidly, with authorities expecting to complete the first phase by July and the second phase by the end of the year.
The initiative, backed by a five-billion-rupee investment, aims to convert methane gas emissions from the landfill into usable energy while also generating carbon credits.
For decades, the towering waste heaps of Mehmood Booti, located north of Lahore Ring Road, posed severe environmental and health hazards, particularly for LWMC workers and nearby residents due to persistent odours and methane emissions.
Now, the 42-acre siteonce standing nearly 80 feet highis being rehabilitated with soil covering and reimagined as a sustainable energy and recreational hub.
The landfill, which served as Lahore's primary dumping site until 2016 before waste disposal shifted to Lakhodair, is now a key part of the Punjab government's "Clean Punjab" initiative. Overseen by LWMC and the Ravi Urban Development Authority (RUDA), the project includes a large-scale methane gas extraction system, where installed plastic pipelines will capture and process the gas for sale to nearby industries.
Additionally, an 11-acre solar park atop the landfill will generate approximately 5 megawatts of electricity, while the remaining 31 acres will be transformed into an urban forest with tree plantations and walking trails. RUDA CEO Imran Amin, estimated that the sale of carbon credits could bring in two to three billion rupees annually, with additional revenue from biogas.
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