Solid Waste Management encompasses diverse administrative, technical, financial, legal, planning, and engineering functions aimed at resolving associated challenges comprehensively. The slutions often require interdisciplinary collaboration involving urban planning, geography, geographic information system and remote sensing, mathematics, statistics, economics, public health, sociology, communications, conservation, environmental science, as well as engineering and material sciences.
The SWM team at the Urban Unit consists of specialists and experts trained in globally renowned institutions. Our organization recognizes the paramount importance of promoting human and environmental well-being, thus emphasizing sustainable and efficient waste management practices with a smart city approach. Our approach to planning, policy formulation, and provision establishment prioritizes balancing environmental conservation, economic viability, and community welfare to achieve targets of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We focus on delivering cost-effective, efficient, and innovative SWM solutions, including reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, to address the multifaceted challenges of solid waste management.
The aim of establishing STD facility is to divert recyclables from the municipal solid waste stream to utilize its economic potential, increase the landfill/dumpsite life, improve the livelihood of residents, protect environmental health and public health through the prevention of diseases due to mosquitos and flies breeding places. The establishment of an STD facility contributes in reduction of GHGs through waste diversion from landfills and is a step towards circular economy for the local government Sahiwal to generate revenue. This will not only provide a healthier environment for general public but also the production of alternative fuel and organic fertilizer assisting both power and agricultural departments respectively. This intervention will play a significant role in achieving Sustainable Development to make cities and communities environmentally sound and resilient and it is also aligned with the government of Punjab’s priorities “ Saaf Suthra Punjab Project” for development of sustainable and climate-resilient cities.
Urban Unit has operationalized the facility at a pilot scale from July 10, 2023, the plant can segregate and dispose off 200 tons of solid waste but it is running in one shift for 08 hours at a capacity of 40 tons/day that will be handed over to MC Sahiwal as they are the custodians of the facility/property of local government.
*Indirect Saving from waste diversion from landfilling
Figure 1: STD Waste Processing Layout
Client: Municipal Corporation Sahiwal
Currently, the sanitation directorate of CDA is collecting and hauling around 600?800 tons of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) per day at the Losar waste disposal site and about 300?350 tons of bulk waste, i.e., garden/green waste and debris is being disposed of at F-09 Park on regular basis. Thus, the total 1,000?1,100 t/d MSW is collected and disposed by the CDA.
Capital Development Authority (CDA) has assigned the consultancy task to the Urban Unit (UU), P&D Department, Government of the Punjab to design an operational model for the capital city of Pakistan to improve municipal service delivery from waste generation to disposal. Following are the deliverables or the studies conducted under this project:
Client: Directorate of Sanitation - CDA
Lahore Waste Management Company has hired the services of Urban Unit as a consultant (Short-Term Consultancy Mode) to improve the solid waste management services in Lahore Division through gap identification and integrated waste management system development. The following tasks have been done under this project:
? Input in the setting of assumptions for urban and rural areas of tehsil
? Gaps identification in business-as-usual SWM practices by the concerned MCs
Client: Lahore Waste Management Company
The Urban Unit solid waste management sector is focused on modernizing the municipal solid waste management systems through upgradation of technology, capacity building, institutional restructuring and financially sustainable solutions. One of the flagship projects is Segregation Treatment & Disposal project proposed in Sahiwal City. The project aims at exploiting the economic potential of the MSW through recovery of recyclables, RDF and compost production; a material sorting and composting facility (STD Facility) is being established in Sahiwal enabling TMA Sahiwal to initiate the waste diversion from the open dumping or landfilling.
Main features of the facility are:
Material Sorting Facility for recovering of the Recyclables (Plastic, Paper, Glass, Ferrous Metals, Non-Ferrous Metals, Tetra Pack, cardboard etc.) and combustibles for production of Refused Derived Fuels (RDF)
Safe disposal of the remaining inert waste on scientific basis
Client: Local Government and Community Development Department
The
urban unit has been assigned the task to develop a project document for the
Improvement of Hospital Waste Management System in Punjab. The project has been
assigned to Urban Unit from Government of Punjab with the aim to improve the
health and quality of life for all, particularly women and children, through
access to essential health services.
The
project document will help the concerned authorities in understanding the
current situation, identification of problematic areas and customized solutions
along with strategic management and operational model.
Hospital
Waste is a special type of waste that may cause much bigger harm to the
environment and public health as compared with the municipal waste. It carries
much higher risk of contamination when mixed with any other type of waste.
Hospital Waste Management requires special attention and processes. It requires
active sorting at source, special handling on site, and transport to the
feasible disposal facility.
Most
of the hospitals in the country and Punjab province lack hospital waste
management systems and hospital waste ends up along with municipal wastes
causing danger to environment and public health. In this regard The Urban Unit
has conducted a study and prepared “Project Document- Health Care Waste
Management Treatment & Disposal Lahore’. The said document has highly been
praised by competent authorities and a request was made to The Urban Unit to
conduct a similar study on assessment / analysis for the prevailing situation
of health waste and its management practices in the hospitals of all of Punjab.
The Urban Unit with its profound experience in conducting such assessments is
expected to come up with highly professional, localized and implementable
project document.
The
Urban Unit is also planning an international conference and expo for health
care waste management by mid of August 2017. This event would be integrated in
to this project. International experts and solution providers would be invited
to the event. This would provide in-depth know how about the issue and would
also provide first-hand information regarding suitable solutions and investors’
interest in this field.
It
is expected that conduction of the said event would further help to improve and
finalize the project document. It may also provide an opportunity to have
national or international service providers involved even on Build Operate
Transfer (BOT) model. In any case the event would certainly assist in getting
to the most feasible solution for health care waste management problems of
Country and especially Punjab province.
Client: Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Department
Punjab Regional Landfill Project
is proposed to establish regional landfill sites for safe disposal of solid
waste. However, when regional landfill sites are established the hauling
distances from the waste producer cities to the sites is increased. It may not
remain economically feasible to transport all waste to distant landfill sites
without introduction of Waste Transfer Stations.
A combination of regional
landfills and waste transfer stations is recommended for Punjab. This combination aims at optimizing
number and related costs of landfills as well opportunity to collect waste from
smaller dwellings in the region through effective use of waste transfer
stations. Regional landfills are suggested based upon already existing
Divisional administrative boundaries in the province. This would further ease
the implementation of the project.
At
pilot project, it is implemented in Sahiwal Division where assessment studies
and design is in progress.
Client: Local Government and Community Development
The
Urban Unit has been engaged by Fort Munro Development Authority (FMDA) for
improvement of Solid Waste Management Services. Scope of the work for The Urban
Unit is to prepare a comprehensive feasibility report regarding existing municipal
solid waste management situation in Fort Munro. Further it involves the
following task;
·
Propose
the economic and environmental sound SWM Model
·
Preparation
of the Bidding Documents (Under PEPRA Rules) on behalf of FMDA
·
Selection
of Firm and work award
·
Preparation
of Monitoring Plan for FMDA
The
Urban Unit has been assigned the tasks of improvement of solid waste management
in Fort Munro area by Fort Munro development authority (FMDA). The Urban Unit
will develop the bid documents and involve in throughout the process of
outsourcing the Solid Waste Management Services (Collection, Transportation and
Disposal) till final selection of competitive firm for the execution of the
Services.
Client: Fort Munro Development Authority
