25 composite plants would be set up for waste disposal, Commissioner Rawalpindi Division.

QAMAR ABBAS JAFFRI
ATTOCK: Commissioner Rawalpindi Division Liaqat Ali Chatha while reviewing the progress of the ongoing projects on Thursday has said that on said that 25 composite plants including ten in Rawalpindi and five each in Attock, Jhelum and Chakwal districts would be set up for waste disposal. A spokesman of his office told media on Thursday that chairing the meeting regarding Composite Plant establishment, he said that Integrated Resource Recovery Centers (IRRC) were the need of the hour as according to this method garbage was segregated in a modern way after door-to-door collection. He directed that by involving the local community and welfare organizations as well as philanthropists in this public welfare project, an immediate proposal should be prepared for setting up ten plants in Rawalpindi and five each in Attock, Jhelum and Chakwal districts. Laiqat said that about 60 per cent of the collected waste consisted of organic waste which was converted into composite form after processing, adding 25 per cent of the remaining waste was recyclable while only 15 per cent was disposed of at a landfill site.He said that this model had been launched in Pakistan after achieving success in other Asian countries. He directed to organize a meeting again in the next fifteen days to review the progress and identify the places where these plants could be installed. The Commissioner directed to setting up of two waste treatment plants in Murree so that the cost and labour of transferring the waste from Murree to the Losar site could be avoided. He further said that the composite plant would help save huge amounts of money spent on waste transfer and would also have a positive impact on the environment and control the spread of infectious diseases due to filth. On the occasion, while giving a briefing by IRRC, it was informed that these plants were being successfully operated at five locations in Pakistan, including G-15, B-17, and Jinnah Garden Islamabad, Mardan KPk and Sarkand Town Sindh. Recently this plant had been installed in Tehsil Khazro of Attock in Rawalpindi Division. Similarly, the feasibility report of the plant in Tehsil Gujar Khan had also been prepared, the meeting was briefed. It was informed that around two kanals of space were required to scale two tons of waste. The meeting was briefed that the Primary focus of the model was organic waste, which typically comes from kitchens, restaurants, plant trimming, and wholesale vegetable or fruit markets while the composite produced from this plant was very important for nurseries and farmers. Director General PHA Ahmed Hasan Ranjha, CEO Rawalpindi Waste Management Company Rana Sajid Safdar, Assistant Commissioner General Maleeha Iesar, Dr Samira Akhtar, Hameed Khan Memorial Trust, Dr Adnan Jilani Arid University and other concerned Officers participated, spokesman added.