The Suthra Punjab Scheme, launched by CM Maryam Nawaz, has entered a transformative phase in 2025, aiming for a zero-waste Punjab within months. With 130,000 personnel, advanced machinery, and a new garbage tax, the initiative targets uniform sanitation across urban and rural areas. The Suthra Punjab app enhances public engagement, while rigorous monitoring ensures efficiency.
Suthra Punjab’s Ambitious Drive for a Cleaner Punjab
In a significant push toward a cleaner and greener Punjab, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif’s Suthra Punjab Scheme, under the Clean Punjab Mission, has rolled out its boldest phase yet in 2025. Launched on December 3, 2024, by Local Government Minister Zeeshan Rafique, the initiative has set an ambitious target of achieving a zero-waste Punjab within three months. This comprehensive sanitation program, touted as Pakistan’s largest cleanliness campaign, seeks to standardize waste management across urban and rural areas, ensuring equitable access to a robust sanitation system.
The program has deployed an impressive workforce of 130,000 personnel, supported by machinery worth PKR 30 billion, including 21,000 cleaning machines, 83,000 pieces of equipment, and 25,000 garbage collection vehicles equipped with trackers for real-time monitoring. A fleet of 10 loader rickshaws per tehsil and 540 sanitation workers in Lahore alone underscore the scale of this operation. Additionally, safe dumping sites are being established in every tehsil, with door-to-door waste collection services covering 1.5 million households in Lahore and extending to 500 central markets and 400 villages.
A key feature of this phase is the introduction of the Suthra Punjab app, launched to facilitate public feedback and provide resources for sanitation procedures. The app allows residents to report concerns and access information, fostering community participation in the cleanliness drive. To ensure accountability, a six-member committee in each tehsil and district oversees operations, while control rooms and safe city cameras monitor progress across all districts.
The Punjab government has also introduced a controversial ‘garbage tax’ effective July 1, 2025, targeting both urban and rural households, as well as small and large businesses. This tax aims to fund the massive operational costs of the program, which includes outsourcing waste management in 110 of Punjab’s 149 tehsils. The initiative also emphasizes eco-friendly measures, with CM Maryam Nawaz advocating for reduced plastic use to mitigate environmental harm.
The program’s public-private partnership model has been hailed as a game-changer, with private companies collaborating to streamline waste collection and disposal. Zeeshan Rafique, leading the charge, emphasized the importance of rigorous monitoring to eliminate negligence, ensuring the program’s success. The initiative also addresses Punjab’s staggering 60,000 tons of daily waste, with advanced equipment like spray machines, road washers, and e-bikes deployed to enhance efficiency.
Maryam Nawaz has extended her vision beyond Punjab, allocating PKR 7 billion to each province to replicate the Suthra Punjab model nationwide. This expansion aims to promote a cleaner, healthier Pakistan, boosting employment and tourism. The program has also garnered praise for its inclusivity, with rural areas receiving unprecedented attention in large-scale sanitation efforts. Murree’s cleanliness performance was singled out as a model for other regions.
The Suthra Punjab Scheme is not just about waste management but also about cultural change. CM Maryam Nawaz has called on Punjab’s residents, particularly women, to take responsibility for keeping their surroundings clean, emphasizing that “cleanliness is half of faith.” By discouraging littering and promoting designated dumping sites, the initiative aims to instill a sense of civic duty. With its smart monitoring systems, substantial resource allocation, and community engagement tools, Suthra Punjab is poised to transform Punjab into a model of cleanliness and sustainability.
Disclaimer: This article is based on information sourced from recent web reports, official Punjab government announcements, and posts on X. The data is accurate as of July 3, 2025, but may be subject to updates as the program evolves. Readers are advised to verify details through official channels for the latest developments.