LAHORE, Dec 18: The scarcity of land in the suburban areas of the city was creating hurdles in more investment in the solid waste management sector, officials of Mahmood Booti compost plant told Punjab Environment Minister Dr Anjum Amjad on Monday.

The plant is the first-ever compost venture in the country built under a public-private partnership.

The minister said she was planning to draw more investment in the disposal of solid municipal waste.

Twelve acres were required for a waste dumping site to turn it into a compost plant with a capacity to consume 250 tons of solid waste every day, official said.

She was informed that the Mahmood Booti plant was consuming 500 tonnes of waste out of 1,000 tonnes of waste transported there by the city district government every day. Its consumption will be doubled in the next six months.

The plant administration said they would compost 100 percent of waste as required under an agreement with the Lahore city district government before the next financial year. Presently, the plant composts 75 of the supplied waste.

The officials said the plant would get an international certificate to produce environment-friendly fertilizer within three months as samples of the produce had been sent to Switzerland for examination. Around 100 tonnes of green fertilizer (manure) is being produced every day.

Dr Anjum will meet District Nazim Mian Amer Mahmood on Tuesday (today) to discuss improvement in the disposal of solid waste system as well as contamination of drinking water due to mixing of sewerage water in it.

Eight people had died in Kasurpura, a city locality along Ravi Road, last year due to contaminated water.

Choked sewage in various city areas, implementation of building by-laws regarding provision of parking, disposal of liquid and solid waste and covered storage of building material will also discussed at the meeting, it is learnt.

The meeting agenda also includes the improvement of traffic on city roads through adjusting school and office timings and introducing a car-pooling system besides construction of more underpasses and overhead bridges.