Suthra Punjab was launched to improve purity, but poor areas in Lahore and DG Khan still lack services, raising concerns over unequal treatment.
What Is Suthra Punjab?
Unveiled by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif in December 2024, the Suthra Punjab capability aimed to overhaul waste management throughout Punjab. It promised door‑to‑door garbage pickup from every home, deployment of more than 100,000 sanitation workers, roughly 21,000 machines, and 83,000 pieces of equipment Province‑wide.
By March 2025, the plan was to extend to all 274 union councils in Lahore alone, backed by a Rs 20 billion budget and a provincial fund totalling Rs 190 billion sourced from a new garbage tax.
System Stalled:
Stuck in Posh Neighborhoods
While premium districts like Gulberg, Raiwind, and Jati Umra enjoy door‑to‑door collection, poorer areas remain untouched. Long-standing suburbs Harbanspura, Nishtar Colony, Baghbanpura, Wagah, Ravi, and Samanabad have received no visits from Suthra Punjab teams.
Residents Abdullah, Nasir, and Noman say they still hire private collectors, paying Rs 200–500 per home monthly. Main roads might be clean, but side lanes are littered with garbage, and exposed to flies and filth.
Missed Deadlines, Short Equipment
The project, which began four months ago, has broken its deadlines. Only 100 out of 274 union councils in Lahore served a far cry from the goal of full coverage by the end of March. Key setbacks include a lack of machinery, ineffective planning by officers, and uneven execution across regions.
Rural Dumping, No Disposal Plan
In divisions like Dera Ghazi Khan, garbage-laden trucks often dump refuse in open fields instead of landfill sites. Winds then spread waste across farmlands, undermining soil health and public health standards.
In places like Chak Birmani and Kot Chhutta, sanitation workers have handled months‑old dumps directly, sometimes lacking proper safety gear and have been unpaid for two months, triggering protests.
Workers Left Out in the Cold
Even where labour has been recruited, working conditions remain alarming. Reports show many lack protective gear and fair contracts. Some serve under informal daily wage arrangements without access to health or pension benefits. In Dera Ghazi Khan, soft contracts have led sanitation teams to strike over unpaid salaries despite government promises to remedy the situation.
Voices of Concern
Urban experts criticize the rollout strategy. Planner Mian Sohail Hanif Bhandara warns that without strategic phase‑wise execution, the campaign’s rapid outsourcing to private firms won’t yield results. Local officials echo this point. Dera Ghazi Khan’s Deputy Commissioner admitted that while workers were in place, dumping spots remained unprepared, scattering garbage across rural landscapes.
Sanitary workers protest both dangerous working conditions and delayed wages. In Kot Chhutta, cleaners have gone unpaid for two months, pushing them into hardship and forcing them to take their jobs to court. Provincial leaders, however, highlight progress in other areas. In early June, Maryam Nawaz directed a special effort during Eid: streets across Punjab were washed with rosewater; drones and Safe City cameras monitored progress; and over 130,000 workers and 36,000 vehicles were deployed to clear 110,000 tons of sacrifice‑day trash.
Why did the Plan falter in Low‑Income Areas?
- Uneven Outsourcing
- Contracts were divided between urban and rural zones, leading to inconsistent cleaning schedules and some districts got daily service.
- Weak Phase Planning
- Experts say that a phased approach would have been beneficial. Deploying services first in poorer neighbourhoods could have built trust and systems ahead of a full rollout.
- Inadequate Equipment
- Promised machinery has stalled Tractor trolleys, modern garbage trucks, containers, safety gear, waste‑water cleaners, and cranes are either late or missing.
- Accountability Gaps
- Monitoring is centred on urban dens, while rural and marginalized areas lack oversight. Corruption, officer inattention, and broken SOP compliance have further delayed execution.
What Needs to Happen Now?
To bring Suthra Punjab in line with its vision, here’s what’s essential:
- Targeted Roll‑Outs: Start service in neglected low-income areas first. Make sure uniforms, vehicles, and periodic checks reach them. This builds trust and immediate impact.
- Strict Contractor Agreements: Outsourced firms should adhere to strict SOPs: timely worker pay, proper site selection, daily service logs, and mandatory protective gear. Violations should carry real penalties.
- Open Reporting Channels: Helplines (like 1139) and the Suthra Punjab app must be easy to use, responsive, and accessible in regional languages. Citizens should receive quick updates when they report uncollected garbage.
- Cross-Agency Coordination: Municipal bodies, waste firms, and local governments must meet weekly, and review areas cleaned, machines used, garbage dumps monitored, and worker well‑being tracked.
- Community Involvement: Run awareness campaigns promoting cleanliness in local schools, markets, and mosques. Offer community roles are supervisors, area volunteers or feedback collectors.
- Safe, Transparent Disposal: Build or designate environmentally safe landfills in each region. Open dumping must be banned, with GPS‑tracked vehicles proving deposits onsite.
- Protecting Workers: Sanitary staff deserve decent pay, formal contracts, job security, health cover, and PPE. Gloves, masks, boots, and training about hazardous waste, especially during high-pollution events.
- Use of Smart Tools: Smart monitoring Safe City cameras, drones, and vehicle trackers should be equally deployed in low-income and high-income zones to ensure real progress is seen and verified.
Eid Cleanup and Future Possibilities:
The Eid-ul-Azha cleanup (June 2025) showed the initiative’s peak capacity. 130,000 workers, 36,000 vehicles, and the generation of 110,000 tonnes of sacrificial waste all cleaned via rosewater‑spraying, drones, and quick response systems. This operation proves the model works if executed. Now, the government must channel that energy into everyday garbage collection across all of Punjab, especially its poorer circles.
Final Thoughts:
Suthra Punjab started as a bold, inclusive effort targeting every home across Punjab, dignifying sanitation work, and reducing disease risk through cleanliness. But the reality is far from the promise. Low-income neighbourhoods face daily waste pileups without scheduled pick-ups. Rural divisions dump garbage in open fields, harming agriculture and health. Sanitary workers face neglect, both in pay and protection. Yet, recent provincial mobilizations especially Eid cleanup show the will and capabilities are there. Strong political will, streamlined planning, and responsiveness can turn this campaign into a real service for all Punjabis and not a luxury for some.
