SAHIWAL: The solid waste segregation, treatment, and disposal (STD) plant in Sahiwal has been lying idle for more than a year and has been turned into a waste dumping ground, Dawn has learnt.

The plant, completed with Rs394.3 million and built on 25 acres of agricultural land, was designed to process 150-200 tonnes of waste daily since its completion by the Urban Unit and the Local Government and Community Development Department.

Despite being formally handed over to the Sahiwal Municipal Corporation, the facility lies idle and the Sahiwal solid waste contractor, M/S Afzal Siyal & Co, has been using the 25-acre site as a dumping ground for over six months. The company has now shifted operations to a new solid waste dumping site near the View Hotel without cleaning the solid waste from the STD plant premises.

Notably, the same contractor had been fined Rs500,000 two months ago by the Sahiwal Waste Management Company for not properly transporting uncovered waste through the city.

Urban Unit officials confirmed that the plant was handed over to the Sahiwal Metropolitan Corporation in December 2024, which later transferred it to the Sahiwal Solid Waste Company (SSWC) in the mid of 2025.

MC CEO Shaikh Ashfaq confirmed that the plant was first handed over to the MC, however, later it was handed over to the SSWC as it remained non-operational and the MC’s inability to run it on its own.

Mr Iftikhar stated that the matter was under review by the company board and would soon be contracted out to a third party.

Urban Unit Solid Waste Management GM Asif Iqbal said that the SSWC had promised to clean the plant and run its segregation unit to produce fertiliser from daily waste. However, the Urban Unit had not provided any technical training to make it functional.

Commissioner Dr Asif Tufail also assured that efforts were underway to hand over the plant to a new contractor.

Published in Dawn, March 11th, 2026