Recycling and Waste to Energy Project for Rawalpindi, Pakistan

08 August 2012 The city district government (CDG) in Rawalpindi, Pakistan is considering the development of an 850 tonne per day recycling facility in collaboration with non-governmental organisations (NGOs). According to a report by The Express Tribune, three union councils in the garrison city - Chaklala, Rehmatabad and Ghariabad - have been selected for a pilot project. The project is reported by be being discussed in association with Akhtar Hameed Khan Memorial Trust - a non-profit organization (NGO) working on sanitation and solid waste management in areas where primary waste collection system does not exist because of lack of resources - and UN-Habitat. If realised the project is intended to recycle 800 to 850 tonnes of waste daily A meeting to discuss the proposals was attended recently by the Rawalpindi district coordination officer (DCO) Saqib Zafar, representatives of UN-Habitat and municipal services executive district Officer Imtiaz Ahmed Malik, according to the report. Speaking to The Express Tribune, Malik is reported to have said that the project also aims to utilise waste from nearly 1000 households on a daily basis to generate energy, while the NGO will not only manage solid waste but will also raise awareness among people. The project is expected to require a 500 square yard (418 square metre) plot to separate recyclable and non-recyclable waste, which will then be used produce energy. A nominal monthly fee will be charges to locals in the area to meet the plant's expenditure, including salaries. The report said that a committee headed by the DCO and also comprising Malik, UN-Habitat, a traders' association and the district social welfare officer will monitor the project. Read More TALKING HEADS: Megacities With the subject of 'Megacities' taking a prominent position at this year's IFAT event in Munich, Waste Management World asks some of the world's leading experts for their views on the role that waste to energy can play in such enormous urban developments. Mosquitoes Breeding in Waste a Problem in Pakistan In an effort to reduce the problems associated with mosquitoes, residents of twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad have been advised to properly dispose of solid waste to prevent the females laying eggs. Waste to Energy Ready for Liftoff in India With its large and increasingly wealthy and population, India is currently producing some 55 million tonnes of solid waste and a further 38 billion litres of sewage each year, excluding industrial wastes, making it ripe for waste to energy technologies to develop rapidly, according to a recent report. Free Magazine Subscription Free Email Newsletter